Mark's Sharebook 

Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll
like it even if  you don't and may decide you need one.

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

Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up
missing.  Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement
and there the treasure would be, amid  all of Lucky's favorite toys.
Lucky 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. Something
told her she was going to die of this disease, she was just sure it
was fatal.  She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her
shoulders.

The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with
Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky?
Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and
through.  If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't
understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her
sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had
anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks.  Jim
took Lucky for his evening 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.

Lucky 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 wha t 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 Lucky owned!

While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to
the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things
in life.  He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living
again, walking further and further together every night.

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

Live everyday to the fullest. Remember it is a blessing from God.

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

They are the ones that care.

 "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting
some kind of battle."