Show Your Hope!

2 years ago today, I had NO idea that my life would be changed so much by the birth of the sweetest, smartest, and most amazing puppy….Beast.

He was the biggest of the litter (hence the name “Beast”)…and he won my heart right away!

He was so gentle and loved to sleep!

But he also was goofy…

Easy going….

and loved to play too!

He was inquisitive…

Yep…he loved everyone…..even the cat!

He was fearless…

And, we just knew he was ‘Ours.’

He loved to get all dressed up….

And, as he grew….we grew to love him more!

He watched the kids like a hawk…

He was their protector…

And, as he grew….his love for playing grew…

When we started training him, we introduced him to a few mentors…and he adored them (and still does!).

He has learned so much from his best friend, True…

And when Beast and True aren’t ‘working’ – they have a blast blowing off some extra energy (cause you KNOW he LOVES to play)

They bonded together immediately and continue to share that special bond.

He was eager to learn new things….and taught himself many things too (like opening doors and gates)!

And he still has his sense of humor (thankfully)!

I guess I underestimated the power of a bond, the power of love…the power of purpose.
Beast was born to be who he is.  He was born with a purpose, and we were connected together so he could fulfill his purpose.

He is my superhero….

Which leads me to why he is even more special than what I’ve described already.

You see, limitations are a funny thing.  You never realize just how much you take for granted until you are faced with a limitation, and you never realize how much your independence means to you until you lose it.

I never gave going for a walk with my family a second thought until I was unable to walk more than 10 minutes because of my muscle weakness, peripheral neuropathy, and autonomic dysfunction.

I never gave getting into my car and running a quick errand a second thought until I became unable to drive much because of unpredictable drops in blood pressures and blood sugars rendered me unable to do so safely.

I never gave walking up my stairs a second thought until I was too weak and unsteady to do so on my own.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
It’s hard to lose the ability to call your own shots not matter what age you are – and being a young mother of 2 children who need you, it makes it even harder to realize, accept, and move past the fact that you are NOT the Superhero you had always thought you’d be…that you can NOT do the things in life you feel you should…and you can NOT give as much as your heart believes it should.  Yes, limitations are a hard pill to swallow….but one that you ABSOLUTELY can with a drink of HOPE on the side.

We’ve had our share of ups and downs this year, and through it all – Beast has been there to help us through it, and he has learned new things and adapted no matter what the obstacle has been.

Beast gave me FREEDOM….he gave me INDEPENDENCE…he gave me my self esteem back.

How can you repay that????

How do you explain what it means to you???

To me…Beast isn’t just another pet.  He’s not just a dog.  He’s an amazing gift.  He is Freedom…and I will NEVER forget that.

Happy Birthday Beast…..you deserve nothing but the best!