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Being a veterinarian, I had
been called to examine a
ten-year-old hound Dog named
Rusty. The dog's owners,
Ron, his wife, Lisa, and
their little six-year-old
boy, Shane, were all very
attached to Rusty, and they
were hoping for a miracle. I
examined Rusty and found he
was dying of cancer.
I
told the family we couldn't
do anything for Rusty, and
offered to perform the
euthanasia procedure for the
old hound dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron
and Lisa told me they
thought it would be good for
Shane to observe the
procedure. They felt as
though Shane might learn
something from the
experience. The next day, I
felt the familiar catch in
my throat as Rusty's family
surrounded him. Shane seemed
so calm, petting the old dog
for the last time, that I
wondered if he understood
what was going on.
Within a few minutes, Rusty
slipped peacefully away. The
little boy seemed to accept
Rusty 's transition without
any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while
after Rusty's death,
wondering aloud about the
sad fact that animal lives
are shorter than human
lives. Shane, who had been
listening quietly, piped up,
'I know why.' Startled, we
all turned to him.
What came out of his mouth
next stunned me. I'd never
heard a more comforting
explanation. He said,
'People are born so that
they can learn how to live a
good life--like loving
everybody all the time and
being nice, right?' The
six-year-old continued,
'Well, dogs already know how
to do that, so they don't
have to stay as long.'
Live simply. Love
generously. Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the
teacher you would learn
things like:
-When loved ones come home,
always run to greet them.
-Never pass up the
opportunity
to go for a joyride.
-Allow the experience of
fresh air and
the wind in your face to be
pure ecstasy.
-Take naps.
-Stretch before rising.
-Run, romp, and play daily.
-Thrive on attention and let
people touch you.
-Avoid biting when a simple
growl will do.
-On warm days, stop to lie
on your back
on the grass.
-On hot days, drink lots of
water
and lie down under a shady
tree.
-When you're happy, dance
around
and wag your entire body.
-Delight in the simple joy
of a long walk.
-Be loyal.
-Never pretend to be
something you're not.
-If what you want lies
buried,
dig until you find it.
-When someone is having a
bad day,
be silent, sit close by and
nuzzle them gently.
Live the NOW,
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If
you can
start the
day without
caffeine,
If
you can get
going
without pep
pills,
If
you can
always be
cheerful,
ignoring
aches and
pains,
If
you can
resist
complaining
and boring
people with
your
troubles,
If you can
eat the same
food
everyday and
be grateful
for it,
If you can
understand
when your
loved ones
are too busy
to give you
any time,
If you can
overlook it
when those
you love
take it out
on
you
when,
through no
fault of
yours,
something
goes wrong,
If
you can take
criticism
and blame
without
resentment,
If
you can
ignore a
friend's
limited
education
and never
correct him,
If you can
resist
treating a
rich friend
better than
a poor
friend,
If you can
face the
world
without lies
and deceit,
If
you can
conquer
tension
without
medical
help,
If
you can
relax
without
liquor,
If
you can
sleep
without the
aid of
drugs,
If you
can say
honestly
that
deep in
your
heart
you have
no
prejudice
against
creed,
color,
religion
or
politics,
Then, my
friend,
you are
almost
as good
as your
dog!
"Author
Unknown"
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Thanks Jim
McCook |
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