BUDDY…….

A Wonderful Story — Anyone who has pets will really like this. You’ll like it even if you don’t, and may decide you need one.

 

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

 

 Inevitably, someone would forget, and something would come up missing. Mary or Jim would go to Buddy’s toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Buddy’s favourite toys. 

Buddy 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. She felt she was going to die of this disease — she was just sure it was fatal. The  double mastectomy was scheduled , and Mary felt  fear riding on her shoulders.

 The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Buddy.

A thought struck her…what would happen to Buddy?

Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary’s dog through and through. “If I die, Buddy may feel abandoned” although she knew her husband Jim would really take good care of him, Buddy won’t  understand that I didn’t want to leave him and this  thought made her sad but she knew he would not be alone. 

 The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalised for over two weeks.

Jim took Buddy for his  walk faithfully, but the little 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. Buddy 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. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem…

 She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Buddy owned!  While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favourite things in life. He had covered her with his love.

 Mary forgot about dying and she prayed instead and then she and Buddy   began living again, walking further and further together every day.

 

 It’s been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Buddy? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

 We Live every day to the fullest and put meaning into it  and we remember it is a blessing from God.

The people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.

They are the ones that care.

 Even acqaintances can become good friends when we take an interest and  care for them, and  they may respond but even if they don’t  as we give we will receive something  more valuable then wordly treasures…

JOY

  Remember even our closest friends were once strangers.