special needs dog

Mama… Tell Me the Story Just One More Time Please.

gidget apr 2014

My heart yearned for another dachshund with special needs to care for.

More love in this heart of mine to be shared.

Time for it to expand once again and take in more teachings from the short little dog they call wiener dog.

Then one day, after much searching,

there you were.

You seemed larger than life looking back at me from the big monitor on my computer,

Even though you were described as only weighing nine pounds.

It was your eyes. I fell deep into them. Into this blissful, knowing place, feeling as if I’d been here before.

It felt as if I was seeing my own soul reflecting back to me.

I wondered, Had we been together before?

Space and time stood absolutely still in that moment, as my heart rapidly beat in my chest, a familiar rhythm.

I knew. I knew without a doubt that you were the one.

My heart was electrified and I felt connected to you with every fiber of my being.

Your eyes spoke to me telling me that you were on your way home.

The final destination of your  journey right into my heart.

Welcome home, little one. Welcome home.

I was inspired to write this after posting the above photo on my Facebook wall this past week. When my mom saw it she thought Gidget’s eyes were telling me to tell her the story one more time of how she came to live with me. Thank you to my special mama for inspiring me!

Friends Forever: Special Needs Boy & Special Needs Dog

It is a day I will remember as pure joy for as long as I live…

Two years ago, a 3-year old little boy named Jackson was having a hard time accepting wearing a night brace on his leg because of a form of Cerebral Palsy he has. His mom found my book, “Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog” and read it to him.  Almost immediately he saw the connection and said, “I have to wear my brace like Frankie!” He now refers to his brace as his “Frankie brace.”

He just turned five and his mom planned a birthday party for him. When she asked who he wanted to invite he said, “Barb and Frankie.”  Now keep in mind, Frankie and I met him when he was three, then again a year ago, but have only been with him twice. Frankie and Jackson have this amazing connection that I have a feeling only the two of them truly understand.

They live near Barrington, IL which is roughly a 3-hour trip from our home in Elkhart Lake, but when a darling little 5-year old special little boy makes such a request, it is hard to say no.  Besides, how often does one turn five?!?!  The best part is his mom decided to make it a surprise… and indeed it was.

Jackson’s mom, Dawn blind-folded him so he couldn’t see us come in.  When he and his mom knelt down, Dawn put Jackson’s hand on Frankie and said, “Who is this?”  Jackson pet Frankie’s head and said, “Frankie!”  He then could not get his blind-fold off fast enough to see his forever friend, Frankie.

So in pictures and video the wonderful event…