Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain -
"I have always loved animals," said Sharon. "At home, I gently catch insects and release them
outside. Outside, I ‘save’ worms by placing them into a garden after heavy rain washes them onto the sidewalk. I am allergic to cats, but I still have to pet them … resulting in hives and sneezing. And I enjoy a dog’s company, more than human’s.
I never dreamt of marriage or children, only a sports car, a beautiful ocean view home . . . and a dog.
As a young woman, my roommate's Weimaraner, Jaxson, was gorgeous, high strung and when left
alone . . . a terrorist!
He ripped out our couch's cushions' stuffing. The living room looked like a feather bomb had exploded!
He also once dug out all the dirt from my large potted palm trees - and rolled in it - on our white carpeting!
I adored Jaxson but he had the attention span of a flea. While leash walking him, he spotted a neighbor's dog and he ‘just had to say hello’.
He ran across the road. I ran after him - right into a SUV. After nearly giving my life up for that crazy-unhurt dog, I was discharged from the hospital with only bumps and bruises.
My boyfriend and I moved in together and we decided to adopt a West Highland Terrier, Westie, because they are smart, peppy, and friendly. It was serendipitous timing. I was doing a crossword and right next to it was an add for Westie puppies!
As we approached the puppies, we heard a symphony of eight, six-week old, puppies yipping and yapping. They were white and fluffy, seven of them fell all over themselves to greet us.
The puppy that we came for was busy digging in the dirt, with his ball, and he was covered from head to toe in mud! To my surprise, when he was gently put into a sink of water, he sat quietly, closed his eyes, and totally relaxed as warm water sloshed
around him - until he transformed into white again.
That night, while trying to crate train our little Hercules, he barked for hours. Worn out, we relented and lifted him onto the bed where he promptly peed.”
Apparently, Hercules had strong-armed the couple with the infamous Westie stubbornness, and from that night on he has slept on a ‘big' bed.
When Sharon’s human relationship blew apart, like one of
Jaxson’s feather cushions, she left with little more than the clothes on her back and Hercules. They moved into a studio apartment with nothing.
“I didn't care,” said Sharon. “The two of us were together and we were starting over. With Hercules by my side, when I was scared, lost, alone or unsure, I felt comforted. When I was happy or dreaming of a brighter future, he was still by my side. His company, love, devotion and affection guided me through the
darkest times. Even though I was alone, I never felt lonely. He was and is a heartbeat at my feet.
It doesn't matter if I am gone for five minutes or five hours, Hercule’s greeting is always an exuberant, ‘You're home! Thank Goodness! I’ve been waiting forever!!!'
When I started an interior design company, Hercules was a staple at my side; at job sites, furniture stores, client's homes, site meetings and the
office.
Many of my staff bring their dogs to work too. But, Hercules is the only dog banned from one of the offices after he stole an employee's sandwich, and took off running. Dragging the sandwich behind him!
In his youth, Hercules swam, surfed, rough-housed with big dogs, chased balls, dug big holes and charmed everyone.
Today, he is 15 years old so we take our time and stroll. His ‘presents’ has
introduced us to many human and canine friends, and our lives have come full circle.
He is deaf, so we use sign language to communicate, but he mostly indicates what he wants with his deep-brown expressive eyes and I hear him with my heart.
My dreams have come true. Today, I have a sports car, a beautiful home with a view of the water and a wonderful dog."
