Writer's Block

What is your favorite animal?

I was raised on a farm with a lot of different animals to care for from ducks to chickens to pigs to cows, horses, cats, and even a pet goat. We had one dog that I could remember very clearly it was a Doberman Pinscher named Magnum it was the biggest baby but also the biggest protector. I grew up in a dysfunctional abusive home and unfortunately too many times I saw what we attempted to have as a family dog put in my father’s truck with a shotgun and driven away to never return. Magnum defeated that pattern and stayed with the family and became a part of our family. But I learned to protect my heart to not get hurt and feel the pain that you have when you lose a dog what is considered a man’s best friend by programming myself to believe that I did not prefer dogs and would rather not have a dog as a pet when I grew up.

When was an addict unable to manage my mental health, had lost my family, my real friends, my dignity, and was hitting rock bottom all because of my poor choices. I was alone, lost and afraid that I would never get out of the deep hole of hell I was living in called addiction. Then the best thing ever happened in my life when I was at my worst. Henry. I didn’t plan for Henry to come into my life. I didn’t go out looking for Henry. Henry was brought to me by a wonderful woman. She originally had gotten Henry for herself. She bought Henry on impulse because he was so cute and she just had to bring him to her loving home, but come to unfortunately realize that Henry wasn’t preferred by her little poodle. That’s when I got the phone call that I will never forget asking me if I would like to have Henry. She thought and felt in her heart that we would be good for each other and that I could really use a good friend in my life at that time. She provided me with everything that Henry needed food, dishes, toys, treats even this nice kennel. She made me promise to keep him up to date on his shots and do routine vet care and to just give him all the love that she knew I had inside of me that I thought I had lost. I insisted that I paid her back for this expensive dog but she refused to allow me to even pay her a penny for Henry. She told me henry needs you just as much as you need Henry and proceeded to tell me that she believes that God had her buy Henry just for this reason and that I was too consider this a gift from God. I am now in recovery with Henry by my side. I don’t know where I’d be in life right now if he’d never would have came into my life. The combination of seeing another human have so much kindness in them and care for another human and having the unconditional love from Henry, saved my life. I found my faith again in God and it grew stronger each day. Because I know what I just saw, experienced and received was truly a message and gift from God and it was nothing to take for granted.