Wish Us Luck, Please

 Losing a beloved pet, a best friend, has been much more of an ordeal than I anticipated but who in their right mind anticipates the trauma death?

If you follow this blog you know we lost our beautiful Charlie last February 8 in a freak accident. Folks, the mental suffering I've put myself through because I lost track of my buddy for five seconds has been anguishing. It's when I get down in the dumps that I have to stop and refocus. For example, one of my best friends wife is in the hospital------again. They live in Wisconsin and the lady has been in and out of hospitals for a couple years on a regular basis. There appears to be no cure in sight yet every once in awhile when we're communicating I'll bring up Charlie and I stop and catch myself then say, in my mind, "STFU." There are others in the world who have lost and are losing much more than a dog.

For the past two months and on a daily basis I check the dog adoption sites in and around Columbus. Lord knows there are a slug of man's best friends available. At the Franklin County Ohio Humane Society by itself you can find pictures of 700 dogs with a sign under their photo reading, 'Adopt Me'. The sites I pick most often are the ones offering rescue dogs and four days ago I found one showing a photo of this young lady.

Her given name is 'Cookie' and she hails from Portsmouth, Ohio which is two hours due south of Columbus on the Ohio River across from Kentucky. She isn't beautiful with the pedigree of Lassie or Rin-Tin-Tin. She isn't what I'd call adorable. But, when I look into her eyes I see a mental message of her saying to me, "Take me home." I don't know a whole lot about her except that she's five years old, weighs 20 lbs. and comes from a home where her owner has been forced into assisted living. I'm assuming her home was a loving one and that with the loss of the only owner she's ever known she's lonely for love and attention. It would be my job to make her life joyful again.

I'm supposed to meet today with the head of the rescue organization. We'll bring her to our home for a trial period to find out how we get along. I'm not certain how I'll be able to tell if she likes it in our condo. I suppose, if she walks in the front door, looks around then pees on my leg that would be a prime indicator.

I do have mixed feelings about this scenario. On the one hand I'm offering a home to a friend in need but I'll also trying to fill a hole in my heart with a substitute Charlie and that might not be such a good thing at this time. One would have had to have and lost a best friend who has crossed the Rainbow Bridge to understand.

Wish us both the best, please. I'd like this to work out but if not----------to be continued.