Having a past

I got a call today.

From the woman who fostered Daisy after they broke her out of the puppy mill four weeks ago.

I found out that until that time she had spent her entire time in a cage. 

Her feet had never touched grass (that's why they are so soft), no one had housetrained her,  (perfect now)  just mucked out her cage if that, and she had never been on a walk, or on the other end of a lease.

The woman today told me what a wreck Daisy was. Terrified of men, nervous, and withdrawn. The foster mother was worried. She wanted to know if Daisy was doing alright and if she could come and visit.

I am learning no one expects a puppy mill mom to do well. At all.

The thing is who I have here is a small dog who doesn't like loud noises it's true, but who walks for hours every day. 

Who chases birds and bunnies. 

Who climbs onto a window sill and waits when we are out. 

Who does leaping laps around the yard when we come home. 

Who has tentatively started to play with toys.

Who comes like a bullet when she is called.

I am so excited to be taking her home next month. I want to show her that big fenced yard and say "this is yours."

Right now I have a dog who runs up and visits with everyone we meet on the beach. Who lets them pat her head, even the men.

What a nice little dog they say. How well-behaved. How friendly.

I have decided to keep her history to myself on these encounters.

I have been thinking a lot about this.

We all have our baggage. Some folks have had things happen in the past that have been terrible and hard to leave behind. Some folks have had far more than their share, for no good reason, like Daisy.

The thing is on that same beach last month I attended an Easter service at sunrise. Whatever your spirituality, whatever it is or isn't, basically the message is simple - let's wipe out that bad past. You're good now. 

Maybe bad times can stop being part of your story.

Maybe sometimes a bit of cancelation is the right thing to do.

Just to go back to where you started, to who you were going to be until that happened.

I was thinking of this tonight on the same beach and I decided Daisy has a right to not have that past anymore. 

She is as good as any dog on the beach. 

The blown dried ones, the ones in dog strollers, the family dogs who have always had the family.

She is a little dog who is just so glad to be alive in this world.

You should see her run.

Really what else matters? 

She is enough just as she is.

Right there.

So tonight I was complimented on my beautiful dog.

"Look how she looks to mommy to make sure it is OK to be patted by a stranger. How smart." 

"Thank you. She was trained to do that."

Daisy deserves the credit.

I'm thinking I will call that woman back tomorrow. 

Tell her how grateful I am for the work she did fostering Daisy until she was adopted. I really am grateful. But I think we are fine without a visit.

She remembers the damaged dog.

We won't.