"Instinct is the nose of the mind." --Madame de Girardin, French writer
As a veterinary grief counselor, I'm often spellbound by the stories clients tell me about how they find their pets. Many of these stories have a magical quality about them.
One of these stories has stayed stuck in my mind for years. It's about what happened when a young man followed his instinct about a certain black lab...
Mark was in his early 30's and an avid skier. He spent every day off and every weekend skiing in the snowy mountains of Colorado. Since skiing was his first love, he didn't have a wife, own a home, or, heaven forbid, a pet. "There was no way I wanted anything or anyone who would tie me down," Mark told me.
But, one day, after his last run down the mountain, Mark saw a woman carrying a cardboard box from car to car in the parking lot. Curious, and feeling a strange pull toward the woman, he approached her. "I remember walking very slowly, like my feet weighed 80 pounds," he said. I" didn't really want to see what was in the box, but I couldn't help myself. It was as if I could feel Fate directing me!"
While Mark was still 20 feet away, the last remaining puppy scrambled out of the box and bolted straight to him. Instinctively, Mark scooped up the dog into his arms, the puppy licked his face, and that was it. Mark was now committed to Jake---a living, breathing being who couldn't ski.
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Photo from dreamstime.com |
So, what did Mark do? He became fond of cross-country skiing and took Jake with him. They spent many sunny afternoons in the wilderness, skimming and romping over the sparkling snow.
Until the day Mark accidentally set off an avalanche and was buried in three feet of snow. Jake dug him out.
"I think Jake came into my life so he could save my life," Mark told me. "Without him, I wouldn't be sitting here with you."
Mark returned the favor, saving Jake from bone cancer by allowing surgeons to remove his leg. They still skied but, after Jake's surgery, they stuck to the trails and never again ventured into avalanche country. Mark said he didn't need those kinds of thrills anymore. Being with Jake was thrilling enough.
Is there something mysterious about how or why you bonded with your cat or dog or horse?
Stop by our Facebook page and tell us your story. And come on over to the Vet Wisdom Café today and read about a missed pet bonding opportunity that I missed, and still regret.
