Our First Thanksgiving

I have a confession to make. The first Thanksgiving after I adopted Sammy? I don’t really remember it.

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the company of loved ones that day in 2019 - I can guarantee that I appreciated our time together. It actually has more to do with the “incident” that tested my ability to keep from coming unglued in the face of a crisis.

Sammy and I were in the home stretch of one of our evening walks, which included the delightful challenge of frequently convincing our newly-adopted, former breeder dog that she did, in fact, have permission to move more than ten feet at a time.

With our driveway just around the upcoming corner, I caught a glimpse of movement from across the street. I turned in its direction, my headlamp illuminating a neighbor’s solidly-built pit bull. In that moment, all four of us seemed frozen in time as we assessed each other. Then, everything shifted into full throttle as the tornado of muscle charged toward us.

Not unlike much of the rest of the walk, Zoe plunked down and became a 65-pound, golden, immovable statue, while her new brother became the target of the energetic dog’s interest. As the off-leash intruder chased Sammy around me attempting to engage him in play, I became entangled in my boy’s leash and ended up on my rear end.

I could feel Sammy tugging on his leash from behind me, but I was helpless to get him to the safety of our home. My greatest fear of having this sweet, anxiety-filled rescue pup bolt and hide was weighing heavily on me as I struggled to regain my footing. While the neighbors’ teenage son was finally regaining control of their playful pitty, I turned around to see an empty harness and leash abandoned on the grass behind me.

In that moment, as I began pleading with God to protect our precious little guy, it was all I could do to calmly and gently call Sammy’s name as I collected his gear and convinced Zoe to come with me. The remaining feet to the end of our driveway seemed to go on forever as I fought to stay calm and to trust the Lord with our boy.

I’ll never forget the utter relief that swept over me when I spotted a golden figure desperately waiting for us by the front door. With damp eyes and prayers of gratefulness, I spoke loving words to our sweet Sammy as I led him and Zoe into the comfort of our home.

I certainly would never have asked to face a situation like that, and it was months before I felt safe enough to walk by that neighbor’s house again (by then we had also faced the agonizing decision to return Zoe to the rescue so that she could be adopted by a family who could meet all of her needs). However, struggles like these have given me a chance to realize what I’m thankful for.

On that night, I was thankful that not only were the three of us protected from harm, but also that Sammy had come to know his home and safe place after so many growing pains of adjustment for a rescue pup. In addition, I was thankful for our time with precious Zoe and that another family was able to take her into their home and give her the attention and training that she deserved. A year later, I would be thankful for the addition of our entertaining kitty boy, Patrick, and his immediate adjustment into our family.

I’m very grateful for the blessings that our furry family members bring to our households. In fact, my boys are a major driving force behind Happy Little Monkey Creations, and I hope the joy that they bring to me shines through in the designs I’ve made available for you.

Finally, our family hopes that you and your own families (including the fur kids) have a meaningful and blessed Thanksgiving!