Thanks to the Dogs in Our Lives

The following is a special blog from my sister. It's an honor to post this for her.
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Just A Dog

I am inspired by my sister daily, by her life, by her writing, and by her choices. Recently she and Karen made a choice to adopt a neighbors elderly dog and the story of how Samantha came into the Adams-Kvam household would make a great children’s book. This act of kindness made me think of the dogs in our lives, especially my grand-dog Truman.
Truman is a large, lovable, drooling, boxer. He is over 70 pounds but he thinks he is small enough to curl up on any and every lap. He is very lovable and very protective, he is VERY everything. To say he is larger than life is a fair statement, and he lives in a small apartment in Chicago.
Recently our daughter went thru a divorce, it was very unexpected on her part and took the rest of us by surprise as well. We live six hours away and we get to Chicago about once a month but our daily support for our child is by phone. To listen to your child’s pain over the phone and know that your arms can’t span the distance is excruciating.
This is where Truman came in. Our daughter didn’t get to keep the car, the larger apartment, or ask for alimony. The only thing she asked for was Truman. At the time we, as parents, wondered about the wisdom of this decision. Truman needs walking every day, and vets are especially expensive in downtown Chicago, what was she thinking!?! He is just a dog!! Here is where our daughters wisdom came shining thru. Truman is the reason she gets up in the morning and the reason she puts one foot in front of the other every day. When she calls and has had a rough day, I know Truman is curled up next to her giving her the hug she needs. During the darkest days of her divorce Truman was there next to her every time she cried about what she lost and when she was afraid of what the future held. Our daughter is building a new life, alone, in a third story walk-up. The only thing she did for about six weeks was go to work, come home and take care of Truman. Truman was there when she woke up and there, curled up next to her, when she went to sleep. Truman is the reason she got out to walk around her new neighborhood in the middle of winter, she had no choice because the dog needs exercise. Life was overwhelming to her, but Truman made it necessary for her keep moving forward.
Our child is slowly doing better now. She is reaching out to new friends and friends she had lost touch with. She tries to make plans to get out and see people every now and then. She is trying to budget the dog walker on the days she has to work all day. She is doing all of this alone and we are very proud of her.
Truman has taught us so much over the past few months. He is our surrogate when we can’t be there, he is our daughters protector in a big city, he is our child’s constant friend and motivator, and he is so much more than just a dog. Sometimes we overlook the importance of pets in our lives, how they help us and teach us. Truman will have our lifelong gratitude for what he has done for our family.