Frankie dressed up in her therapy dog collar and bandana… Sharing Smiles and Joy
After I returned from vacation I was eager to catch up and find a few hours to get started with therapy dog work. So, last Friday at the spur of the moment, Frankie and I jumped in the car and headed for our local hospital. This was our first official visit as a registered team with Therapy Dogs, Inc.
The minute Frankie rolled into the hospital the smiles, and ooh’s and ahh’s began. Frankie has this amazing effect on others, just as any dog does when visiting an environment where you don’t typically see an animal.
The hospital has a small pediatric area. We were hoping to visit with some children. There was one little girl about one year old, but she was tucked away in her crib. All the other rooms were empty. Though we hoped to see some children our first time around, it was a happy thing there weren’t any I suppose.
One very talkative, sweet woman was recovering from knee surgery. As Frankie rolled into her room she said, “Are you here to motivate me?” I said, “Yes, I suppose we are!” We visited for about 15-minutes and I heard about the dogs in her life and her grandchildren. She asked how I like volunteering and I told her that doing this fulfills something in me that is hard to explain. I told her it is a dream come true for me to do this with Frankie. She told me something quite interesting. She relayed to me that she likes to volunteer also and runs across older people who don’t understand why she would want to give her time away. It took be by surprise when she said that. She explained the folks from the depression era had so little that they feel you must work and be paid and save your money. I can’t imagine what it was like to live through the depression so I don’t have that mind set. For me, I came to a point in my life where material things don’t mean as much to me anymore. I told her I felt this strong urge to do something that mattered and help others. It is interesting the opposite sides one can be on about volunteering.
On Monday we visited a very new senior assisted living facility a few miles from where we live. Most of the patients suffer from dementia. We had gotten there just as they finished up lunch, so those interested in visiting with Frankie started to gather in the living room. It was a lovely facility and the living room was really like being in someone living room. One man, who I will call Charlie, came up to Frankie immediately, smiling and petting her. I was told by the activities director he was a bee keeper and farmer at one time. He really adored Frankie and was very active with her. The activity director said, “Just seeing Charlie like this today was so worth your visit.” Wow. Another woman who seemed in much more of an advanced stage of dementia seemed apprehensive of Frankie at first. A few moments later she came right up to Frankie and started massaging her neck. I could just feel this was a special moment happening. Just looking at the care takers who work there and the expressions on their faces, I knew Frankie was making a difference. Frankie and I visited for about a ½ hour and promised we would be back next month…. And I told them I would bring Frankie’s book and read her story to them. I can hardly wait for the month to go by!