Every time I look at Frances, I am reminded of all the good in the world. This is the absolute truth.
She is the quintessential good dog. Again, I kid you not.
For those of you who do not know Frances very well…. she came to us in 2005. She showed up at Bullen Ultrasonics, and Mary called me to come get her from the Plant. I did.
Oh, we tried to find her rightful owners. And when that failed, we tried to find her any owners. We came close, but it was a series of “high hopes” and subsequent “let downs.” This was all coming during a very hard emotional time in my life. Finally, and thankfully, we decided to keep her.
We did not want another dog of this size. We certainly did not want a black, dog of this size. But that is what the Universe delivered. So we accepted.
But the Universe decided to deliver more.
When I took her to her first Vet appointment, the good doctor informed us that the new dog in the family was about 2 years old…. and very pregnant. And… a couple of weeks later… we had 13 puppies. We found good homes for all 13. A big shout out tonight to all of them… from Dashe, to Eddie, to Rudy the Runt.
But back to Frances. She truly is the epitome of friendship. She is kind, compassionate, funny, completely dedicated, fiercely loyal, well-mannered, and highly protective. She is a giver and a watcher.
It is in this complete package, that such a lesson is learned. On the outside… she was everything we did not THINK we wanted in a dog. On the inside…. she is everything we could ever have hoped for in the truest of friends.
In our years, we have had many canine pals. But Frances is by far the best of the best.
When the Universe opens up and gives me a gift… I hope I am always smart enough, open enough, and willing enough… to accept it.
Frances taught me this.
If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give. — George MacDonald
To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift. — Steve Prefontaine
Hi Polly,
Bev and I just did our weekly check in on the goings on at Eddie’s birth home and loved, loved seeing Frances featured. We so love to see her and to see our Eddie (Roscoe Eddie Sparks-Hayes, to be exact) reflected in her face. The more gray they both get, the more obvious is the resemblance. He is a dear and makes us laugh every day. Thank goodness for black dogs.