Many people have told me that Bailey is just like me. She is strong willed and ahe has endless amounts of tenacity, my sister observes. She is right. She is kind and loving, affectionate and playful. She is so social that she will never understand why another dog would even bother to bark – that is not her style. She has beauty and grace and now she has cancer. But she doesn’t know she has it nor does she act like she does. There is a chance that her operation- which she came through beautifully–could have saved her, along with the pill I give her daily, and maybe all the mass was removed but it is hard to know. We will wait three months for the next ultrasound and x-ray tests. She acts like she always does. She barks whenever we eat, her appetite is fantastic and she loves us and Safari like no one else. She is the most grateful person I have ever known. I know few people as loving and grateful as Bailey. She continues to go wherever we go and wherever that is, the story is basically the same. “She has the sweetest disposition,” She is just the most beautiful girl.” “What a sweetheart.”  I do not think that a day has gone by in more than 2 years since we adopted her, that some stranger has not talked about her in some positive manner.

She is easy to talk about that way. Her easy going manner and loyal, loving ways continue to amaze us daily. How many people do that in your life? Maybe your sibling  or parent (mine does) or maybe a husband (mine does), maybe your cat (mine does), and maybe a few great friends ( you know who you are)  but that list does not extend too far beyond that. It really does not have to. Quality is much better than quantity, although I would take 20 Bailey’s into my home if I could because she is simply that special.

I told her that she will be fine. I told her not to break our hearts because she makes me, at least, a better person everyday. We learn from each other and the one thing I have always said since I was a young kid, is that the two most important things in life are good health and love and I think they need to go hand in hand to work well.

We celebrate all the seasons here so we can soak up all good blessings, with a little luck and all the love we have to give, we put our faith into the gift of good health – for that is only present we need.