I Believe in Angels #4

Visit #4 This visit was actually made on July 16, 2013

 

Riding home in the car that day was very sad.  I knew my time with Mr. W. would be ending soon.

Outside his room was a cart with cookies, ice water, snacks and a white board. Scrawled across the top of the board were the  words  “ Going Home” and in different color markers in a variety of printing and cursive were notes from family and friends with messages dedicated to Mr. W. - the man I had only met 12 days ago ago, but somehow learned to love.  There was an unexplainable joy that I felt in his presence. On my prior visit, Mr. W.’s family was making the difficult decision concerning hospice care, so  I was not sure what today’s visit would hold.

The door was open, but the curtain was drawn and the room was dark.  Mommy thought it best to ask the nurse if was ok for us to visit.  She said, “Absolutely.”   We walked into the room slowly and found Mr. W. asleep in his recliner with his daughter and son-in-law by his side.  His daughter nodded and motioned that it was ok to interrupt the quiet of the room.  His daughter said, “Dad, Zoe’s here to visit.”  Slowly Mr. W. opened his eyes.  The change in Mr. W’s energy level and strength was truly significant, but when his eyes focused on me, my tail was waggling and his smile lit up the room.  He took his hand from under the covers and mommy put me next to him so he could pet and cuddle with me.  Then mommy held my paws as Mr. W. leaned his head forward toward me.  I knew what he wanted, and I was very gentle with a light kiss on his head.  Although he could barely speak, I knew what he was whispering, so did mommy.  She put me on the floor, and I did all of my tricks, saving my salute for last.  Mr. W. and his daughter clapped.  Then he held out his hand and mommy gave him a treat to give to me.  Of course, I was ever so grateful.  Before we left his room, mommy told him about my new trick that wasn’t quite yet perfected, but we could give it a try if he wanted.  He nodded.  So, mommy told me this sequence:  “Zoe down.”  I did it.  .”Zoe, cross your paws.”  What? She repeated it.  I not only crossed my paws, but I also put my head down as if in prayer.  Mr. W. smiled again.  We went to his side, and he nuzzled my face one more time before we went on to see other patients.

As we were leaving the care center, we went past Mr. W.s room and I got to write a note on the white board: