Guster & Susie with mom - Kelly

A DOG NAMED LUCKY

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog, Lucky. Lucky was a real character.
Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit, they would
warn their friends not to leave their luggage open because Lucky would
help himself to whatever struck his fancy.

Inevitably someone would forget and something would come up missing. Mary
or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure
would be, amid all of Lucky's favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his
finds in his toy box, and he was very particular that his toys stay in the
box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her
she was going to die of this disease...she was just sure it was fatal. She
scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.

The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A
thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the
three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I
die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I
didn't want to leave him.

The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death. The double
mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated, and Mary
was hospitalized for over two weeks.

Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully but the dog just drooped,
whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived
home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her
bedroom.

Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.

Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It
made Mary sad, but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed. When Mary woke,
for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her
head, and her body felt heavy and hot. Panic soon gave way to laughter
though when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally
blanketed, in every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the
sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement and back bringing
his beloved mistress his favorite things in life. He had covered her with
his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again,
walking further and further together every night.

It's been 12 years now, and Mary is still cancer-free.

Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box, but Mary
remains his greatest treasure.

Live everyday to the fullest...because every day is a blessing from God!

  Bijou with Owners - Ursula and Roche