People, not just God, play a role in what I am grateful for.
Do you notice how people often praise God or Thank the Lord when good things happen in life? I thank God for the mundane in my life, everyday. I am thankful to God for the clothes on my back, the food on my plate, and the amazing people in my life. However, when good things happen in my life, I thank all of those whom are involved.
I lost my dog the other day - she actually ran away in the evening and when dusk turned to dark, I believe she may have gotten disoriented and could not find her way back. We were in a place unfamiliar to her and I was out for the evening with my Mom-In-Law.
Abby, my pup, escaped when the garage door opened. She played a game of "Catch Me If You Can!" with my father-in-law until she got lost.
When we received the text that she had been missing for two hours - we left our event and headed back to the house. It was about 9:30pm and we immediately assisted in the search for her. We walked down dimly lit walking trails and drove up and down the streets, calling for her. Everything we could think of doing until midnight.
I posted a "Please help me" message on FB and attempted to sleep. It ate me up inside thinking she was lost in the woods and spending the night outside. I woke at 5:50am to vivid repeating dreams of her returning by the basement door. Three of them to be exact occured sequentially.
The first dream Abby was at the back door and I quickly realized I was still asleep and began to tell myself to "wake up, Britt! You need to yell for Abby!". The second dream that seemed real, she was by the back door and we were reunited. The third dream she was a boxer mix and in the house... which was strikingly odd to me because she is a lab mix...
I finally awoke and headed to both doors - the doors I vividly reconnected with her in my dreams.
I called for her.. nothing.
I grabbed my keys and Armani, my sidekick pup whom I have had (and lost and found 5 times) for 12 years. We rode around still searching and yelling for her to return.
Again. Nothing.
My beloved inlaws awoke and had an idea - Flyers.
We made 40 flyers with the attached photo of Abby (with a big squishy thanks to John Arthur
Photography for his talents). We placed them at every stop sign in the neighborhood. All of this completed by 7:30 Sunday morning.
We came back home and waited to hear if anyone would call. My father - in - law continued the search, I am grateful for his determination and speed. My mother - in - law was an amazing support system, reminding me to remain positive - which is what I often do for others.
After a few pleas on FB and more pictures posted, I felt I could do no more, but wait.
9:30am the call came in. A woman had seen the poster we had placed just hours before, then simultaneously spotted Abby running down the street. She was running back toward the house. Another couple, on their way to church had turned around to follow her after they remembered hearing us call for her during the night.
I ran outside and called her name. The gentleman, who was on his way to church, offered to run into the woods to help me grab her. I yelled for her again - turned to my right - and then...
We were reunited! She came up from the backyard near the very door I dreamt about that morning. I had never seen a more elated dog in my life. Tears of joy from me and a quick plop to the ground belly ready to rub from her. A light whimper of joy escaped her as she was completely where she wanted to be. She was home and safe and all of this was possible because of all of these amazing people!
Passionate, caring, loving, kind to the core, PEOPLE. Without them she may have still been attempting to find her way back.
Yes, I understand God placed these amazing people into our lives, but I thank them for saying "yes" to helping bring our little springador home.