An old friend...

This is my old friend Leroy. And I do mean old!!! My son Eric brought him home in 1994. He was a baby and among a litter of puppies waiting to be adopted. He was in a box in front of Ranchland Market in Norco, California. I took this picture a week ago while visiting in California.

He was mixed breed for sure. shepherd, lab, etc. But he was the most gentle dog I ever had. A sweet patient spirit, who was a survivor too. We can learn much from our animal friends. They are loyal, patient, trusting and give you the unconditional love we all desire.

In 1996 Leroy was hit by a car and ran into our home bloody, injured and whaling. We were in Las Vegas when I got the call from my children that they had to take him to the vet and the vet was positive he needed to have his injured leg amputated. I rushed home in a flurry and told the vet to hold off amputation until I returned.

His leg was indeed split wide open, with the bone and tissue exposed. I asked the vet if there was a way to save the leg, he said only with daily dressing changes and cleansing of the wound 2 times a day. I am a nurse and thought I would be up for the task, would Leroy?

As if he knew what I was thinking and feeling for him, Leroy would lay down while I unwrapped his wound 2 times a day, packed it with medication and re wrapped it for the next 6 weeks. What did I learn from him?

He taught me about trust. He trusted that I would help him heal. He never growled at me, tried to bite me or run away from me. So I often think about him and do miss him.
When I moved to Arizona I left him with a family that loved dogs, they have 4 of their own, a huge yard for him to run around in, but most of all he has his freedom and a peaceful place to live with all 4 of his extremities in tact.

In dog years he is 102 years old. He is slow getting up, has difficulty seeing and hearing but when I visited him his tail wagged like the old days and he instinctively laid down as if the smell of me was a memory recall for him to be taken care of and loved. I kissed his sweet face and rubbed his old injured leg.
And with a gentle softness in my voice I whipsered good bye in case the years may catch up with him and he is to return to dog heaven.

I thank him for his loyalty, his love and the lessons of patience, endurance, trust and to love those around us unconditionally as he loved me.

Young at Heart...

If you want to feel young at heart,spend some time with your grandchildren, or ride in a small boat with a friend and enjoy the smell of magnolias, the wind blowing through your hair and the mist from the lake brushing past your cheeks.

Those lazy summer days can bring back those memories of lost summers and lost loves.

Put on an old favorite record (that shows you how old I am) and let the memories comfort and warm your soul.

If you are with your grandchildren, find a swing and if they are big enough have them push you. I promise it will take you back. Or like I did with my grandsons,we went to an early morning movie and had popcorn and candy for breakfast, what fun!!!

Then we came home played in the pool and I taught them how to play Marco/Polo. We then went and had pizza for lunch and ice cream for dessert. I had the most amazing time and so did they.

Go ahead be silly, have fun and remember it is the small things in life that mean the most. You are making memories for your grandchildren to remember you. So many lessons we can teach them if only we take the time.

One of the best things about getting old for me is that I can feel young and silly again,enjoy those fleeting moments with my grandchildren and relive some of my youth.

Now go throw a water balloon or do a cannonball in the pool. But go have some fun!!!

And of course sing along with Frank to Young At Heart.

A Bolt of Lightening...

I love this picture with all it's vibrant colors and the presence of the sun, moon, stars and a bolt of lightening right in the middle of the picture to capture your attention. A powerful presentation for sure.

The bolt of lightening that hit me in the past few weeks was a virus, a computer virus. I had never experienced that before, and it was a little unnerving to say the least. I lost most of my photos, but my documents and chapters for my first book "Waiting to Die, Wanting to Live" was saved on that wonderful thing called a flash drive. I had a vision at first of losing everything, and what would I do?

So the thought of having to redo everything I had worked on in the past 2 years made me pause and consider what is the worst thing that could happen? I would have to rewrite my book and renew my vision. A little overwhelming for sure. But I hadn't lost anything in the way of what I have gained in the past several years.

What have I learned? I have learned to trust more, to be obedient to God's Word and my own vision. To never give up or in and that everyday can be a redo,and a redo is a gift the should never be put to the side or allowed to fade away. It is easy to just let things go, and find an excuse to not complete the task, but in the end it is we who lose out on all the possibilities that are afforded us.

So if need be reclaim your dream, live your vision and complete your purpose.

The most effective way to do it, is to do it. Amelia Earhart

So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me. (Acts 27:25)

A Sunset...

Are you ever surprised by God's goodness? Watching this beautiful sunset reminds me that I am grateful to see another sunset, another day another year.

Feeling healthy is a little mind boggling for me. There was a time not so many years ago I was just grateful to be able to get out of bed on my own, breathe without oxygen or popping a nitroglycerin tablet...and of course being tethered to a dialysis machine 10 hours a day. I am free of it all. Free to feel joy, free to achieve peace and free to be all God wants me to be.

I wasn't expected to live beyond 54 or 55 years old. I will be 65 this year and physically and mentally I have never felt more alive or more at peace.

Leaving behind a life of chaos and freeing my mind of overwhelming stress has healed my body, mind and soul. I don't refer to myself as the heart patient or kidney patient. I see myself as healthy and whole and God has continued to bless me.

I consider myself a heart, dialysis, and transplant survivor.

So let your morning be a surprise and try and live your day with joy, giving back, loving those in your life, and remember to use your words and thoughts carefully so that your body remains strong and your spirit will continue to soar.

We become who we say we are. So become who you want to be.

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
(Prov. 12:18)