Dog Story

     A wonderful dog story . . . Anyone who has pets
will really like
this.
     You'll like it even if you don't and may decide
you need one.



     Mary and her husband Jim had a dog, Lucky.

     Lucky was a real character.

     Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a

     weekend visit they would warn their friends to
not leave their

     luggage open because Lucky would help himself to
whatever struck
his fancy.

     Inevitably, someone would forget and something
would come up

     missing. Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box
in the

     basement and there the treasure would be, amid
all of Lucky's

     favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in
his toy box and he

     was very particular that his toys stay in the
box.



     It happened that Mary found out she had breast
cancer. Something

     told her she was going to die of this disease,
she was just

     sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double
mastectomy, fear

     riding her shoulders.



     The night before she was to go to the hospital
she cuddled

     with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would
happen to Lucky?

     Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was
Mary's dog

     through and through. If I die, Lucky will be
abandoned, Mary    
thought.

     He won't understand that I didn't want to leave
him. The
thought       
     made her sadder than thinking of her own death.



     The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her
doctors

     had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for
over two weeks.

     Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully,
but the little dog

     just drooped, whining and miserable.



     Finally the day came for Mary to leave the
hospital. When

     she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she
couldn't even make

     it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife
comfortable on

     the couch and left her to nap.



     Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to
her when she

     called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame
her and

     she dozed. When Mary woke for a second she
couldn't understand

     what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and
her body felt heavy
    
     and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when
Mary realized the

     problem. She was covered, literally blanketed,
with every

     treasure Lucky owned!



     While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made
trip after

     trip to the basement bringing his beloved
mistress all his favorite

     things in life. He had covered her with his love.




     Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky
began living

     again, walking further and further together every
night.



     It's been 12 years now and Mary is still
cancer-free.

     Lucky?



     He still steals treasures and stashes them in his
toy box but

     Mary remains his greatest treasure.



     Live everyday to the fullest. Remember it is a
blessing

     from God.



     The people who make a difference in your life are
not the

     ones with the most credentials, the most money,
or the most awards.

     .......They're the ones who care.



     "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet
is fighting

     some kind of battle."

     Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.

     Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.