You probably want to know how an old dog can teach YOU a new trick. Well you haven't met Sammy then.
In this particular case, an old dog is here to share some insight with you. My parents acquired Sammy, an elderly cocker spaniel, about 8 or so years ago. He was my grandmothers dog who feel ill and could no longer take care of him and was given away to a shelter. My mother, who has taken in many animals over the years, couldn't say no when my grandmother had gotten slightly better and started asking about her furry companion, Sammy. She just had to find him. To make a long story short, Sammy was located and now was going to live in Gaylord, Michigan with my parents.
Sammy isn't just any old dog. He is old, blind, deaf, has some knee issues, and has been run over(by accident) twice. I mean, really, is he a cat with nine lives or something? But if you were to be around him, you would understand how truly remarkable he is. He can teach you a few things about life.
We as humans have an awful ability to just give up. Hard things happen in life; bad and horrendous things happen in life. It seems like at times life is just trying to kick you in the mud. I can think of many times when I have wanted to give up, and probably have prematurely in some cases. What makes us different than an old dog, as humans we give up Hope.
Sammy has not. Even after he lost sight completely in both eyes, and went completely deaf, he found a way to not only survive, but thrive. As you watch him maneuver around my parents house, you can't help but see how determined he is. He runs into almost every wall, or corner, but he definitely knows where he is going. You can see him walk down the driveway and as he starts to veer off and hit the grass, he knows to head back on the pavement. He can make it down the 1/4 mile long driveway and follow my parents on their walk. He does this without seeing, or hearing them. He also knows how to make his way around 20 inches of snow and get back to the door he was let out of! He can do this because he has learned how to adapt to the life he has been dealt and continue to live it.
On top of finding his way, he also knows exactly where to lay down in the hallway when my parents leave for work(if they don't take him) so he will be able to smell or feel their presence when they return. If you want to see a dog's nose at work, sneak up on him while he is laying down. His nose picks up your scent within a minute!
Hope may feel hard to come by on days when life seems to have dealt you a bad hand. You may be struggling personally, professionally, financially, or mentally. Everyone has a struggle in their lives that they need to deal with on a daily basis. Some have more than others. Sometimes these struggles can overcome us and our lives; making it difficult to go on. I know I am the first to admit that I have given up Hope more than I care to admit in my 30 years on this earth.
But this is where an old dog can teach you a new trick.
Don't give up a Hope. In the hardest trials in your life, don't let that feeling slip away. Even if your only hope is to just make it through your day. Hope with the strength of that old, deaf and blind dog.
I want to challenge any one who is reading this to print or save this image with the words "Always Have Hope" and place them so you can see them each morning when you first wake up or anytime you need a pick me up through the day. Even if you just hope to get to work on time, give yourself the chance to have HOPE. Hope lets you endure the heartache, pain, and trials you may come across in your life. Try to keep it in your heart at all times, and don't lose it once you do.
Just remember Sammy, that old, deaf and blind dog, and his Hope to never give up.
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