Hi Friends,

It was a day like any other day;most days we are satisfied with our routines. We get up with the sun, or as it may happen before the dawn, to welcome the new day. As we shake off the sleep from the night before we look ahead to what the new day holds for us. Depending on the day, maybe it’s work, maybe it’s a family fun day, or maybe it’s a day that you have all to yourself to do with as you wish.

Many, when faced with a day left to their own devices may choose to find a comfy couch and settle in, or if the weather is perfect, lounge in the back yard. This is often the perfect way to wile away the day. There are those times though where this just doesn’t feel like enough and you need to break away from the norm. You need a little excitement and adventure and the clear choice is to hit the road.

Today, we leap out from the gate and let our feet lead us where they may. There are days when even the often familiar surroundings of the neighborhood look different when you are free to roam and take it all in. The rustle of the leaves on an early autumn day seem to sing along with the breeze as it hits your face. The smells, familiar and sweet as they pull you from street to street, from place to place.

Suddenly, you reel yourself back in and realize that you’re all alone, and where you’re standing looks familiar, but you’re not completely sure how to get back to where you started. You look for a landmark but in the sea of suburbia the houses are cookie cutter. The street signs, somehow don’t make sense and the streets just interrupt each other sharply and continue to lead you in circles. You know you have a home but where is it? You look for familiar faces but don’t find any so you settle on trying to find a kind face, a sympathetic soul. For who knows how long you search. Finally, you find someone to help lead you to a safe place. The kind soul gives you a place to relax and a refreshing, long needed drink. She assures you everything will be better soon if you can only be patient, so you put your trust the only place you can.

After what seems like forever, another person shows up that you’re sure is equally kind, but they have a uniform that could cause you to question if this is another missed step. You go with the uniformed gentleman, mostly because you have no choice, but partly because of his reassuring voice. When he offers you a ride and helps you into his big truck you wonder where you’ll end up. After all, you couldn’t very well give him your address. The only place he has to offer is something of a communal bunkhouse, but at least the building is a safe, warm, dry place to lay for the evening.

When the next morning rolls around you awake to this strange surrounding. Off in the distance, though, you hear a voice that is so familiar you can hardly contain your joy. You wait as the voice moves closer. Finally, when you see them you know you’re going to go home to feel the love that your family brings.

This is the story of a sweet older Labrador who was lost, but made his way home after finding our oldest human puppy when she came home from school. She asked Dad to let him stay in our back yard until the animal control officer could bring him to the SPCA for the night while we waited for social media to work it’s magic and reunite a family. The animal control officer was kind and gentle, even allowing the lab to ride up front. I don’t think I would ever let Dad get too far away from me, but if I ever do get lost I hope I find a family like mine to help me get home.