Tails From Rainbow Bridge: On the River with Willie

I was lazing on my floatie, riding the waves of the River of Life, and sipping a Foleytini, when Angel Willie, who was enjoying his morning swim, emerged next to me.  He put his front paws of my floatie.  I held my Foleytini, and he took a big gulp.  I inquired about his family.

“My Mom is still having a hard time,” Willie said as he slid off my floatie and tread water.  “Last year she fell, and she shattered her knee.  She could not walk at all.  We thought that I had a hard time on the mortal side as a tripaw but that is nothing like being a one leg.”

I knew about this, having flown many prayers up the mountain for Mama Sandy, but we dogs can be wordy, and he was worried, so I let him talk.

“You would think after all the time my mom spent helping me walk, caring for me so that I could live a normal life, and acting as my fourth leg, that she would be rewarded with knees that would support her until she was 100.  For my mom to lose her mobility, because she broke her knee, isn’t fair.”

I reminded Willie that there were many things unfair about the mortal life.  “But nothing can stop my Mom.  She is a very determined lady.  I don’t know if she got that from me, or if I got it from her, or if it is something our love created, and we shared.  She always said I was determined to walk and be with her after I got the tumor in my leg.  My mom has been adamant throughout her ordeal that she would continue working hard for the Darlington County Animal Rescue from where she adopted my sister Jessie.”

And that she had.  She has faded from some social networks became her top priority, after her family, and beloved Jessie and Roscoe is the Darlington County Animal Rescue.  Not only has she worked to helped to get pups adopted, but she has been ceaseless in her work to raise money for the Rescue.  She has even designed a t-shirt that the rescue sold.

Willie had begun swimming around my floatie.  “This spring she had knee replacement surgery.  She doesn’t remember, but I was with when she was asleep during surgery.  She has had some tough days during her recovery.  But she is getting better.  She even went to the shore this weekend.  Hopefully by the middle of July she will be like herself.”
Willie went under the water, then came back up, and playfully blew water on me.  “Hey Foley?” he asked.  I asked him what.  “Can you tell my Mom how proud I am of her.”

I smiled at my wet friend.

“I don’t think I have to,” I said.  “You just did.”