Blind Hope: An Unwanted Dog & the Woman She Rescued Read Online Free PDF Page B

far less a question than it is a plea to be heard. “Sure, let’s head up to the top of the hill.” I gestured sideways with my head.
    We walked the short distance to the highest place we could find and, without grace, collapsed on the cool grass. I gazedacross the lowlands toward the rising Cascade mountains, grateful for the chance to be still. Each of the peaks and glaciers, valleys and crevasses, took me on an instant, reminiscent journey of hiking, skiing, or mountaineering.
    I stretched out on the grass and raised one arm toward Laurie. “Speak to me,” I said with mock drama that matched my goofy smile.
    True to her nature, Laurie laughed and then shook her head. “No, it’s nothing big. I just wanted to tell you some really cool things that have been happening between my new dog and me.”
    “I’d love to hear what’s been going on. Fire away!”
    “By speaking out loud what I’m learning, it makes it more real, more permanent in my life. Know what I mean?” Her eyebrows accented her question.
    I nodded in agreement.
    “Well, once I brought my dog home, everything changed. She wasn’t just scared. She was really sick and weak and needed my help to recover. I wasn’t sure how things were going to work out, but within a few days I could tell she’d decided she could trust me. For some crazy reason, she chose to like me and wanted to play with me and sleep on my bed during her recuperation. Then, I believe, she started to love me … and I chose to love her back. She wasn’t the cool blue-eyed dog I had hopedfor, but I started to see all that she was—a homely, kind, and loving dog. In a short amount of time, we’ve become really good friends.”
    Once I brought my dog home, everything changed
.
    I couldn’t contain the broad smile that I felt spreading across my face. “Well, look at that. Good for you, girl, for stepping up. It matters more than you know. Whether she chose to love you or not wouldn’t have changed the fact that you did the right thing, and now something wonderful is happening because of it.”
    Laurie plucked several blades of grass. “I didn’t think it was possible to become such good friends with a dog in such a short amount of time. I guess it took me a bit to realize that I needed to let go of my expectations and just accept her as she was.”
    I agreed. “Honestly, I doubt there’s a creature on this earth that does exactly what you’ve just described better than a dog. No matter how badly we fail them, they just keep accepting us for who we are and love us anyway.”
    “Yeah, she’s so much better at that than I am, but I’m learning. Wait! Make that, ‘we’re learning
together
.’”
    “That’s the spirit!” I laughed and tossed a few blades of grass her way.
    “There were so many changes my ‘Aussie girl’ and I neededto adjust to, like when I decided to rename her. Her old owner had called her Angel, which I didn’t feel suited her at all. Besides, I wanted her to have a new name to identify her new start with me. I wanted her to know she was mine, that she belonged to someone. After lots of thought, I finally chose Chiquita Mia, which is Spanish for ‘my little girl.’ I knew that Mia was a very different sounding name from the one she had known before. Still, I felt confident that we could make the transition together.”
    I tested the name. “Mia. It’s beautiful. I think it fits her well. Good job.”
    Love is not a feeling but a choice
.
    Laurie laughed a bit. “Even though Mia is nothing like what I had hoped for, she has stolen my heart. After spending time with her, all my selfish expectations seemed so small, so ridiculous. I’m ashamed I ever felt that way. Mia was homely, she was skinny, and she was stinky. But she was also kind, quiet, and gentle.”
    Laurie appeared to be talking more to herself than to me now. “She’s becoming a true friend and a little dog that I’m growing to care for very much.
    “And, get this—she has