Ladies and Gentlemen. This I must tell you.
This face. This furry little face… belongs to a simply amazing little being. Many of you already know her. Maxine, as we humans have deemed her.
Maxine Virginia Swift.
I am not sure what her mother named her, or even what she looked like when she was just a pup. I don’t know if she had siblings. But I wonder these things.
Maxine came to us in 2002. She was about 2 or so. Best guess by our vet.
This little dog was found hit on State Route 122. She limped horribly. Her pelvis was broken in 4 places, as was her tail. She had a hole in the roof of her mouth. She was dirty, matted, and in bad shape. The person who found her declared she was the ugliest dog in the world.
How could we ever turn down such a great deal on a used dog? We didn’t even have a trade-in. So we invited her to come live with us.
Since that time, this one small dog has won our hearts. She turned us into “little dog” people.
She has been a faithful companion, a loving little friend, a fierce protector, and a shoulder to cry on. At the same time, she has been a little bossy bigwig, an imperious general, and one grumpy customer. Maxine will tell you exactly what she thinks… whether you want to know or not.
And I wouldn’t trade any of it now. Not one bit.
But at 14 or more years of age… well…. Max is in her twilight. These days, she doesn’t see very well. In addition, she is deaf in one ear, and of course…. she can’t hear out of the other. She eeks out pee, and then gets embarrassed. She gimps around like crazy …. but runs with the big dogs…. in her heart. Maxine is one extremely tenacious little character.
She is … by far… the best dog in the whole world. If you are reading this… and you are….. you may have a dog or a cat. I bet THEY are the very best in the world too.
We are part of very fortunate group then, you and I. To have these “Best in the World” friends in our lives. Our furry little pals… who can never be replaced or forgotten.
But remember this. If we ever lose your incredible friends…. there is another one out there who is waiting for our help.
Not to mention….. WE are waiting for THEIR help…… every bit as much.
“Friendship isn’t a big thing — it’s a million little things.” ~ Author Unknown