When I came to Texas three weeks ago, it was to be of support to my sister, whose husband had passed away very quickly and unexpectedly. Ironically, my sister’s best friend was planning on flying to Texas to be with Molly, but she ended up having to fly to the east coast instead, to be with her son and his wife as their first child was born.
After I had been here a few days, Molly welcomed two new dogs to the ranch to become part of her breeding program. Ironically, one of the dogs was pregnant when she arrived.
As fate would have it, about a month ago, Molly told me that she had no litters due in October, which meant no holiday puppies. Ironically, the newly acquired pregnant dog is due soon, so there will be a litter of babies for the holidays after all.
My sister doesn’t believe that a dog who becomes disabled should automatically be euthanized (thank goodness), and so when one of her dogs was partially paralyzed at the home of the family who had adopted her, and they didn’t have the wherewithal to care for the dog, Molly offered to take her back and to care for her. Just a few days ago, that sweet little dog made her way alongside the others for their morning time outside. She did so enthusiastically and without assistance. Ironically, this was to be her last trip outside. For the next several hours, my sister Marybeth and I looked for this little dog, and finally located her, only to see that she was extremely ill (although she had not been injured). We brought her inside, bathed her, and Marybeth held her until she passed away.
As humans, it is our nature to have expectations about how certain experiences will turn out. However, we are often surprised when they turn out 180 degrees differently. In many instances recently, things have been very different than what it first seemed like they might be.
For this Peace Walker, it has been challenging to experience the constant shift in outcomes. I have had less patience and have found myself being a bit irritable and restless. And, I have attempted to recover to Peace whenever I catch myself being short with someone. And, for me, that is my irony. I’m a Peace Walker who is slipping in and out of Peace pretty consistently.
I suppose more than anything, that makes me…human.