Approximately six years ago, I met a woman who ran a pet rescue. I was instantly drawn to her love of life and animals. Weeks later, we decided to foster a dog. She brought him to our house, the week before Fathers Day. We thought this would be a good time, since so many of our family members would be at our home and either take him or tell their friends about him. There were several people that wanted to give him a good home. The problem was, Paul and I wanted to keep him, too.

A couple of days later, I ran into another animal lover and foster mom. She asked how things went. I told her and she replied, "Oh, you're a foster failure." I wanted to laugh; however, I felt a sense of shame and a little pissed off that someone had used the word failure when speaking about me. Another friend of mine said that the term "foster failure" meant that the family that had fostered the pet decides that they want to keep it. It was said in jest. A joke. Funny. I still didn't get the joke, as I was too busy taking it personally.

Truth be told, I was a little afraid of him. He was not perfect. He was missing a foot, so walking was a bit of a challenge. Needless to say, he got in my way. A lot! It was then that we named him Cassidy (Hop Along Cassidy). He hopped along from room-to-room following anyone that paid attention to him. He was happy, interested, appreciative, and loving. Why did I have such a hard time warming up to him? Because I was scared. I knew right then and there he was placed in my life to teach me a lesson, many lessons. When you rescue an animal, no one really knows all about their history. My friend told us that he had 8 homes before us because people would commit and then back out. This

sweet boy didn’t know if he should unpack or keeping living out of his suitcase! We learned that he was neutered, didn't bite and no one knew how he lost his foot. Good to know, but much to go on. I never thought about what Cass was thinking about us. I didn't think that mattered.

Grooming was a challenge. The buzzing of the clippers apparently brought back some terrible memories. Walking on a leash was challenging as the clicking sound of the collar (attached to the leash) would make him cower. These, along with other day-to-day routines made me more compassionate and patient. I was not patient when we got him. My husband was patient. Not me. It has been said that, "Time heals all wounds." What no one says is how long time takes, because it is different in every situation. My impatience was turning into patience when I began to think about his feelings. He was in new surroundings and, I imagined, he was wondering when he would have to leave. He wasn’t going anywhere. I needed him. He needed us. He was becoming a part of our family.

What a fun and adventurous boy he has become. He swims like a fish and runs like the wind. At night, he curls up into the smallest ball when he hears us turn on the television and he senses that we aren't going anywhere and that seems to ease his deep-rooted ingrained insecurities of being left behind. He is safe, secure and even holds the title of "The Mayor" at the groomer, as he gets to walk around while his friends are being tended to, waiting patiently for his turn in the sink. He is a fantastic little brother to his big sister, Isabella and he is happy that she is in charge. Being in charge is a title he doesn't want.

This brindle boy with floppy ears and eyebrows to die for, continues to teach me how to practice patience, love and tolerance each day. Our routine is ours. Our language is that of love and as a result, I am not so quick to judge others. I am not scared of the what ifs. And above all, I am thankful for all of the “blessons” (blessings + lessons) that this animal has given to me. Will I foster more animals in the future? Absolutely! Will I learn something new about myself? I'm counting on it!

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My resolve is to write about experiences and awareness that I had throughout my life. Many things have been revealed to me and I am excited to share them with you. It is my belief that we are all just walking each other home and I am willing to hold your hand through the process.

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On the first page of my website, is my contact information. I would be honored to hear about your experience, strength and hope with a situation or situations that you thought you would never be able to get through, but did!

Purely,

Kim