Two Short Ones

Enjoy #132

Photo by McGill Library on Unsplash

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Here are two short stories for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

The Therapy Dog

When Dan was in the late stages of dementia, his best friend was an electronic therapy dog, like the one pictured above. We named it Ruffie. He talked to Ruffie, played with him, and introduced him to everyone.

Dan never met his 16-month-old great-granddaughter. The other day, I babysat and took Ruffie along to entertain her. At first, she was leery, but soon she was petting, hugging, and kissing the dog.

The thought that crossed my mind and made me smile was great-grandpa and great- granddaughter were finally meeting. He would have adored her, as I do.

The Widow

I recently talked with a woman I hadn’t seen for over 25 years. I asked, “well, what’s been happening since I saw you last?”

Her immediate response was, “my husband died 18 years ago.” Her comment opened the door to a meaningful conversation. We agreed

• it felt as if half of us were missing

• the grief didn’t go away, but we lived with it - doing better sometimes than others.

One morning, her seemingly healthy 50-year-old husband kissed her twice, which was unusual, before they went to work. When she got home, the police notified her that he had been hospitalized. The next morning he was dead. She was on her own with children, unprepared and lost.

A few years later, she had a boyfriend, who she described as a great guy and a lot of fun. He developed cancer, and she took care of him until he died.

She had often wondered if having a loved one die overnight or more slowly would be harder - both are harder, and she is afraid to love again.

After 18 years - she has a successful business and a busy life. But those long-ago losses remain.

If you want to contribute to my work, consider donating to the Alzheimers Association. This link takes you to their website. The choice is yours.