Animals were absent from my life for 7 yrs. until January of 2010 when my cousin and her family adopted a Golden Retreiver puppy named Jessie. They asked me to become her, "puppy nanny." My job was to play with her during the day while everyone was working or attending school. It was a tough job but somebody had to do it.
Challenges caused by my Bipolar Disorder had prevented me from working since 2006. This made me reluctant to accept the responsibilty at first. I never knew how I was going to feel from day to day. I always said, "If you don't like me right now, wait 20 minutes and you might feel differently. I know I will."
I decided to give it a try. To stick my toe in the water.
Oh, the lessons I learned: you don't need to talk to have a deep conversation; unconditional love can be as simple as a wagging tail; a glance from liquid brown eyes can bring light to the deepest, darkest corner of the mind and rubbing a puppy's belly always brings a laugh and a smile.
What 3 psychiatrists, 3 therapists, 3 hospitalizations, 2 suicide attempts and countless medications were unable to do, a furry ball of pure love and boundless joy has trumped them all.
Well done, Jessie. Thank goodness you don't charge by the hour.
