I've been grateful for several things during The Gratitude Project although I will admit that it has been more difficult to do so when not blogging about. I'm an external processor so the blog really does help focus all the things swirling around inside my head and piece through what's in my heart.
Today is quite easy though. I'm grateful for a sweet Pit Bull possibly Boxer mix that found her way to our porch and into our hearts last Sunday afternoon. She is the cuddliest thing I've ever seen. Housebroken. Well mannered. Not leash trained, but you can't have everything. She was so well taken care of we knew that she was some body's pet and they would be missing her badly. That still didn't stop us from praying she wasn't chipped. Indiana State Law states that if there is not a chip present that 30 days after finding and caring for the 'stray' the dog is legally yours.
Brandon has quite a knack for naming the lost of the animal kingdom that keep finding their way to us. He called her Stella and she came running, so Stella she is. Needing a middle name and since we are a rather literary family Stella Luna or Stelluna she became. But what was so incredible about our Sweet Stella was the healing she seemed to pour into Lily.
The past 3 years has taken a hard toll on Lil. Losing the house and moving on top of the ugly in between years that make up middle school has just been more than her big heart could handle. Hurt closed off places in our Sunshine Girl. Depression in kids does not manifest itself the same way it does in adults. Adults get sluggish and sad. Kids get angry. Lily has been too heavy. Too much has happened. Our girl crawled inside. Until Stella.
Lily isn't a dog person. She really doesn't much care for animals at all. On the flip side, animals (especially dogs) don't really much like Lily either. Until Stella.
From the first second they laid eyes on each other, it was love. Almost immediately Lily was laughing and smiling and visibly lighter. She wasn't has mean to her sisters. She would take Stella into her room and snuggle up with her on the bed and read books and watch movies. Lily has never liked being alone and therefore didn't spend much time in her room. Until Stella.
Stella gave Lily something to love. Pure. Unconditional. Untainted. Love. So it breaks my heart to tell you with tears in my eyes that Stella was chipped. She lives four houses down from us and her real name is....wait for it...BELLA! Which is why she came running when B said STELLA.
Her owners are overjoyed, but Clan Maxwell is heavy of heart today. We know that this is the right thing to do. We have to return her to her proper home. She came to us for a little while and in the process helped the healing process of our girl. I will love her always for that.
The part that leaves me the most astonished came this morning. I was sitting at the dining room table with my morning coffee and the laptop when Stella came and placed her sweet baby dog face on my lap. Looking into her chocolate eyes mine started to mist over. I was trying so hard not to be sad or show it until the kids left for school, but alas, I just couldn't stop the tears from falling. Lily came out of her room right about then (OF COURSE!) and said "don't make me cry. You'll mess up my make-up!" I apologized only to hear her say, "It's okay, Mom. She has a daddy that misses her. She has a good home. And it's OK." I'm so proud of my girl who has genuinely opened her heart back to love. Only real love can look at what is right and good for others. Only true love can take us past ourselves.
Thank you, Stella Luna. For affection so deep and so pure it busted through heartache to let sunlight in again. For you I am grateful.
Beautiful... absolutely beautiful :)
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