Thank you for the smile

You were standing in the lobby of my office building with your golden-doodle puppy, and on my way out for lunch I couldn’t resist asking if you wouldn’t mind me petting her for a few minutes. You said her name was Blossom, and she jumped up at me and happily licked my face and ears. You wouldn’t have known this, but my hubby and I had to put our yellow lab, Molly down just about two months ago now. I miss her personality, kisses and unassuming gentle personality like crazy every single day, and today was no exception. That minute I spent hunkered down in the lobby with Blossom made today just a little bit easier, and I thank you for that. Coming around the corner to the lobby, she reminded me so much of our poor old Molbert from a short distance, that my first instinct was to burst into tears. So thank you, random stranger, for that unexpected reason to smile instead. —Missing My Bubba-Lou

This article appears in Jun 7-13, 2012.