From Detroit, St Louis, Chicago to Seabrook Island we have experienced those called
"Golden Moments."
A righteous man regards the life of his animal.
Proverbs 12:10
There is a pounce that shakes the
bed; a wet kiss is freely offered; and I am aroused into reality that my
lovable eighty-five pound Golden Retriever Moses has issued my wake-up call. He
is my happy-go-lucky guy whose fun-loving personality is contagious, as people
always want to stop and give him pat or a scratch behind the ear as he leans
into their affectionate touch.
This is the personality of a Golden Retriever that I have loved through
the years while raising four of them. As puppies, they are irresistible fluffy rag mops always
ready for cuddling and eventually growing into obedient and mellow adult dogs
that are faithful to his or her master to the end. Wait a minute, did I say
obedient and mellow? Hold on a
minute, what about those moments when their
happy–go-lucky persona over rides their thought process? Or when their sassy
attitude will torment you to point of just wanting to scream? These are occasions that I
affectionately call “those golden moments.”
Our present Golden Moses has provided a few moments of
his own. He is a lover boy but
frustration can abound when this “Big Guy” acts as if he is a defiant frat
boy. He loves to roll in anything
from the sandy beach covering his whole body with sand to the unspeakable
animal poops and is proud to wear the scent. As a puppy his big game was rolling in mud holes in the yard
to the point of being incognito. Asserting his happy-go-lucky personality, one
day he decided to prove his manly physique by moving the woodpile one by one
across the yard. Only problem he forgot to restack the wood. Of course, he
continues to provide “golden moments,” as he tries to live up to his frat boy
rank.
Finally, there are poignant “golden moments” that touch deep into
the soul. Such a moment happened with our dog Sunshine. She was my daughter’s
so called dog and we got her when Laura was ten years old. At that time Laura asked,
“How long will Sunny Live?” I promised she would see her graduate from college
and Sunshine did. Laura had a love/hate relationship with her.
Sunshine loved to torment her by stealing her clothes and running rings around
her or jumping on her as Laura screamed, “Mommy get her off, I don’t like this
dog!” As they both grew older,
Sunshine mellowed becoming a constant comfort and loyal buddy to Laura
particularly through Laura’s kidney cancer and recovery. Sunny spent her time
attentively by my daughter’s side as if this dog knew it was her personal
mission to see Laura through this awful period. Sunshine often placed her head
on Laura’s lap giving her a smile that only a Golden can offer saying “ Please
get well and will you forgive me for all the times I tormented you?” --- a
peace offering that quickly makes those “Golden Moments” melt away.
TOTT
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for our opportunity to care and to oversee the beasts and animals of the earth. Our pets bring great joy into our hearts and it is our hope we can care for these wonderful companions to the best of our ability.
Amen.
Commitment Today:
If you don't have a dog or cat, donate time, money or energy to a animal shelter.
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