Sunday, May 09, 2010

What the dog understands

My dog, Tigger and I did a Caring Canines visit today to a hospice. While she has been a therapy dog for 3 years, we have not done hospice visits before and I wasn't sure what to expect.

I initially signed up for the visit, not realizing it was Mother's Day and almost canceled. But then I wondered if there would be patients at the hospice who might not have children to visit them and who might feel that most acutely on a day like Mother's Day.

We ended up spending time with just two of the patients at the hospice. It was a short visit and really, all Tigger did was sit and let herself get petted. Yet I could see by the smiles on the faces of the people there--the patients, the visiting families, and the staff--that this was enough.

It's so easy to get caught up in feeling lost and powerless in this world. Feeling as if the important, significant things are beyond us. Well, maybe that's true. But maybe we just need to redefine what is important and significant.

Maybe spending 15 minutes petting a dog in silence is enough to change the world.

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