Sadness and Joy Today


SADNESS

Today Zion and I had a Canine Therapy visit to Anchin Pavilion (North Honore Ave, SRQ).

There we visit women and men on the Memory Floor, and on the Assisted Living Floor.

This was our first visit after a hiatus of a couple of months: partly due to COVID 19 restrictions; and partly because of my Sacroiliitis  which had made my walking to be very painful.

I was sad.  Three of my beloved memory unit friends had died since our last therapy visit.

Of course they did not know me.  But I knew them.

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JOY!




Despite the heavy rain Z and I took afternoon walk today at Sarasota's lovely Arlington Park. 

We walked anti-clockwise on the 1/2 mile footpath so that we could get a bit of shelter on a heavily wooded section. 

We encountered a group of Sarasota High School students who walking clockwise.

Their obvious leader stopped, and asked me  "is this dog called Zion?"  I replied in the affirmative. The "leader" turned to his female and male friends and said:  "This is the most wonderful dog you could hope to meet".

Then he  (his name is Renn ) turned to me and reminded me that when he had been running in the Park one day (a year or more ago) he had met Mr. Z and fallen in love with him.

Then he added "I have lost the only photo' I took of Zion; may I have another?" I assented of course: so one of his pals took a photo' of Renn and Zion. 

Then the group of young female and male students had a tender orgy of petting, patting and back scratching Mr. Z.

The almost perfection of Zion has nothing to do with me! He came ready made.  But I bless the Universe for gifting me with my most excellent and dependable friend ZION -- the bringer of joy!




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