On February 28 after the Sunday service lifting up We’re All in This Together, Miss Daisy, our 14-year-old American Staffordshire terrier, let us know clearly that she was done. It was time to move on to her next adventure. We loved her for 13 years after Dave adopted her from the SPCA in Annapolis MD to be a pal for Sasha, another dog we adopted from that same SPCA. (I didn’t think Sasha needed a pal but that’s another story.) Sasha taught Daisy how to live in a house and how to navigate the world outside of a chain-link enclosure (our best guess at Daisy’s home for the first year of her life). And Daisy (along with Sasha and, later, Mr. Lincoln) spent the next 13 years teaching us a wealth of lessons. Here are just a few:
- Be kind and welcoming.
- Be clear about what you want but be willing to compromise.
- Take care of those you love and love generously.
- Nap often.
- Find the rays of sun coming in the windows and relax into them.
- Be patient unless you urgently need to go outside.
- Take time to sniff everything.
- Only bark if it is really important and Lincoln has fallen down on the job.
- Cat food is delicious. (I don’t really ascribe to this but have translated it to mean try different kinds of food.)
- Sometimes a wander is better than a brisk walk.
- Be kind to the veterinarian and the people who work there. They are just trying to help.
- Always accept the offer to go car riding. It may lead to adventure or a treat.
- Find the softest bed near the fireplace when you go visiting.
- Every once in a while just light out on your own and find something delicious to eat or experience.
- Learn how to communicate even when you speak different languages.
- Appreciate the kindness that comes your way; demonstrate gratitude.
- Splash in the water at the edge of the ocean.
- Run with abandon, even for a short distance.
- Accept that some won’t like you or might be uncomfortable around you. Be kind anyway.
- Be generous; share your treats with those who are not as fortunate.
Thank you, Daisy Mae McGillicuddy. We are grateful for your love and your lessons and will hold you in our hearts always. Every day you lived the truth that we are, indeed, all in this together.
Cindy Hackett
President, Board of Trustees
