This week started at Faith on Sunday morning. Although it was cold outside, the greetings for me were warm and friendly.
Later in the week, I visited a senior center in the north shore area. We regularly visit this location. The staff and some people know me very well. However, there are enough new residents and certain seniors who don’t remember me after my last visit. That’s OK. I get to introduce myself all over again.
This time we had a long conversation with one of the senior men. I had not visited with him before. He was happy to learn about me and the Comfort Dog Mission. He had large dogs at home in the past, which he talked about as he began petting me. He knew how to hit the right spots, and I stayed in a sitting position right next to him. My handler discussed the Comfort Dog Mission with him, describing the variety of places I visit. After petting me for about 10 to 15 minutes, he said that he understood how the people react to Comfort Dogs because he was feeling very good and happy. As someone’s grandmother used to say, “Now there you got it.”
Then we revisited the children at the Heartland Alliance International Care Center (ICC). This was the sixth time I visited these children. During some visits, the children are a combination of the same ones we visited before and some new faces. The kids’ reaction to me and JoJo, the other comfort dog on these visits is varied. There were a few kids who tend to be very cautious about getting too close to me. There were other kids who petted me right away. They were curious about us. Then, with the encouragement of their teachers, they wanted their pictures taken with me. I did a good job with the lap command, where I rise up and put my front legs on their lap. They all got a kick out of my doing this.
The pictures will be given to them. This will be a reminder of the good times we all had. For kids who have endured some difficult experiences, this will help them and begin to develop hope for the future.
Be in touch. Peace!