I groaned as I plopped into my office chair this morning. When would the bursitis in my leg go away? It hurts, it hinders, it is a nuisance, and it stifles inspiration and creativity. Looking down, I saw Nemo. He had come in from the family room, sat on the floor beside me, and looked up, sympathy shining from his brown eyes.
“It’s all right, Nemo,” I said. “I’m just complaining. Do you ever hurt with arthritic twinges? Do your short legs ache at times? After all, you do run a lot, chasing those pesky squirrels.”
He wagged his tail and said something.
“Oh, you believe exercise is what keeps you going?” I asked. “It has been a long time since I’ve tried to catch a squirrel and, in fact, maybe never. Running? The children and I had some daring games of hide-and-seek in the house and in the back yard, but running? That takes a certain coordination of muscle and joints that seems to be lacking of late.”
“R-rer. Ruff,” said Nemo.
“I agree. I should remember my blessings as you do and you were certainly blessed,” I said. “You were homeless and just a puppy when you wandered into Uncle Richard’s battery shop on the highway. Do you realize what the chances were for surviving on that busy highway? How did you manage that? And, how did you know that Uncle Richard’s kind heart would demand he take you home?”
Nemo wagged harder.
“Oh, your sixth sense led you to him? You knew there was something in your future you had to do, some purpose to life, something out there that called to you and you felt guided? Yes, I can understand that.”
A low growl and a sneeze or two.
“You’ve certainly found your niche,” I told him. “Companion to a vintage kindergarten teacher, inspiration to a writer of mysteries. If you could make it through the dangers and trials that beset little thrown-away creatures and come to just the right person who made sure you had a future, why, my goodness, my danger-prone fictional heroines should certainly triumph over the slings and arrows of cruel fate.”
“So, I should forget the negative, concentrate on the positive, be thankful and get on with life?” I asked.
I’m pretty sure he smiled and nodded.
Seeing he had accomplished his task of comforting and reminding me of the important things, Nemo padded back to his bed. I turned to my writing, bursitis pain forgotten.
You’ll find the books Nemo helps write here: (Just click on any of them)
Amazon
BarnesandNoble (The Cemetery Club is FREE as a Nook Book)
Or, drop in at my Amazon author’s page and take a look around.
How true. My dogs, Abby and Gigi, are both rescues and I like to spend time talking to them and petting them. They remind me to not worry and to be thankful for what I have.
Thanks for writing, Peg. Yes, our pets are therapy animals.