God sent us pets to make life easier
by Angie Deets, TX, U.S.A.

I had to quit working in 1985 because even though my CMT had not been diagnosed, I was unable to work. If I had known what was wrong, I would have been drawing disability from my employer.

Unfortunately, some doctors tend to ‘dismiss' symptoms to ‘being a woman' when they do not have the guts to say "I don't know what is wrong." I have learned the hard way!
However, I am very blessed. I was married more than 23 years to Lewis, a wonderful man; and two very active, attentive, and protective ‘boys' (otherwise known as dogs) allow me to live with them.

Lewis spent more than a month picking out our children seven years ago. He named the boys Jake -- from a popular song at the time, If I Die Before I Wake, Feed Jake, and Jake had to have his Buddy. They were going to be outside dogs. They were, for two nights. I was too worried about the ‘children' to let them stay outside all night alone.

A couple of months later, Lewis had back surgery and the boys knew he needed some extra special loving so they spent most of those weeks in bed with him.

The boys have me very well trained and I wouldn't have it any other way. They are my children. They talk to me and get their message across very clearly. When I am hurting, they know it and are always at my side. They share in my meals, as they always have to have the last bite, regardless of what I am eating. Buddy sleeps under the cover at the foot of the bed and licks my feet every night as if he is doing therapy to my aching feet. As I take my rest times during the day, Jake is always up beside me on the sofa.
Any time someone is walking up toward me, Jake gets in front of me and Buddy gets beside me. I know someone is here even before they get to the door. Where else could I get such unconditional totally committed love and protection?

Lewis was diagnosed with mesothelioma on February 26, 2000. He went to heaven on May 15. During that time he kept telling the boys they were going to have to take care of me for him. They would stand on either side of his hospital bed and Lewis would pet them. You could see the sadness on the boys' faces because they knew something was wrong with their Daddy. Lewis and I left together in the ambulance and I came home without Lewis. They were very sad and are still looking for him.

Lewis used to play hide and seek with them. When they hear a motorcycle or a diesel pick-up like their Daddy had, they start going through the house trying to find him, looking in the closets and the places he used to hide. Their doctor put them on separation anxiety medication for three months. But still, anytime you say anything about ‘Daddy' their faces perk up and you know they are still waiting for him to come home.

I think dogs train their humans just as much, if not more, than we train them. They have trained the UPS lady to come in and play with them and she brings them each a cookie.
And it doesn't take long for them to let visitors know that they are part of this family and they demand attention from all who enter.

I wonder how people live without the love of a pet. I feel that God put this open spot in you that can only be filled by the love of that special animal just waiting to be loved and give you the unconditional love everyone needs. Mine aren't trained as service dogs, but they give me more help than I could list. I know someone is always going to meet me at the door and just ‘wag' all over in delight to see me. They have been delighted with us in our joy and they have shared in my grief.

I recently broke my leg and have been using a wheelchair. It didn't take but just a bit of coaxing to get Jake to pick things up off the floor for me. I was thinking about putting a harness on them and letting them pull me around because my shoulders are too weak to roll the chair very much.

What would I do without my boys? I cannot imagine. There is this big empty space left in me that had been filled with Lewis's presence. The boys have their space inside me too. They are such a joy and they keep me going. They seem to always do something to make me smile even when I don't feel like smiling. And every day Jake ‘sings' Jesus Loves Me with me. Neither of us can carry a tune, but we have fun anyway!

Their Daddy planned most of his own ‘farewell celebration' and at his request, the first song at his service was If I Die Before I Wake, Feed Jake and everyone sung together Jesus Loves Me, just like we do every day at home. I know Lewis was pleased. Lewis loved our boys just as I do.

God sent us dogs (and cats) to make life easier for us, I'm sure of that.

That sums it up perfectly.