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A Dog's Purpose

7/12/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. Upon examination, I found he was dying of cancer. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?

Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn stuff like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps. Lots of them.

Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Being always grateful for each new day and for the blessing of you.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!



Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).



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To Realize

8/12/2013

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
To realize
The value of a sister
Ask someone who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one hour:
Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person who missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one second:
Ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize
The value of one millisecond:
Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

To realize
The value of a friend:
Lose one.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 4 (2006).


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View from the Rear View Mirror

7/5/2013

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
Life Supporter Dallas Wright tells of a time when he commuted over an hour to work. He learned a beautiful lesson about perspective. These are his words: "The job was very stressful, but the drive home was beautiful countryside and always helped me to relax. There were many winter wheat fields planted along the way, and I especially loved them because they were an oasis of green amongst the barrenness of winter. 

One day as I passed a particularly lovely spot, I was not quite ready to give up the beauty, and looked into the rearview mirror. I noticed much to my surprise that the field appeared even greener! Farther down the road I tested again with other fields and sure enough they always appeared a deeper and more beautiful green.

I reflected on how we often feel that things were better in the past and it occurred to me that, just as that wheat stood exactly the same, my PERCEPTION of it had changed in the reflection.

So it is with our past. When it appears that there was more good to experience then than now, I remind myself of that day. To fracture an old adage and coin a new one: “THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR!” 

Memory has a way of making the past seem rosier than it was. If you find yourself wishing that things were the way they used to be, it may just be that the grass looks greener in the rearview mirror. And if you spend too much time admiring the view in the mirror, you're likely to miss something great just ahead!

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 3 (2005).


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If

12/7/2012

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Picture
© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
If you can start the day without caffeine,
  If you can get going without pep pills,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
  If you can resist complaining an boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
  If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can overlook it when those who love you take it out on you
  When something goes wrong through no fault of yours,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentments,
   If you can ignore a friend’s limited education and never correct him,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
  If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can conquer inner tension without medical help,
  If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
  If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice

Against creed, color, religion or politics,
  Then my friend … you’re almost as good as your dog.

Isn’t it amazing how simple life should be?
Have a good day!!!

© 2003, John C. Fitts, III.  All Rights Reserved.  Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume I (2003).




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Contentment

11/22/2012

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Picture
© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
It was spring but it was summer I wanted; the warm days
     and the great outdoors.

It was summer but it was fall I wanted; the colorful leaves
     and the cool dry air.

It was fall but it was winter I wanted; the beautiful snow and
     the joy of the holiday season.

It was winter but it was spring I wanted; the warmth
     and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child but it was adulthood I wanted; the warmth
     and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child but it was adulthood I wanted; the freedom and
     the respect.

I was twenty but it was thirty I wanted; to be mature and
     sophisticated.

I was middle-aged but it was twenty I wanted; the youth and
     the free spirit.

I was retired but it was middle-age that I wanted; the
     presence of mind without limitations.

My life was over but I never got what I wanted.

Jason Lehman – originally published in a Dear Abby column, February 14th 1989, when Jason was fourteen-years-old.   

Happiness does not depend on the amount we possess, but the ability to be content with what we have. Enjoy the moment. Blessings on this Thanksgiving Day!!

© 2003, John C. Fitts, III.  All Rights Reserved.  Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume I (2003).


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The Journey is the Blessing

10/21/2012

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Picture
© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
For most of our lives we are consumed with preparation and thoughts and dreams about what we will become. At a young age we start seeking answers to the question, "What are you going to be when you grow up?" Education and experience come in stages, each getting us ready for the next phase. By middle age many have still not found an adequate answer.

Last year I read a book by Lisa Wingate that profoundly influenced my life. Entitled Tending Roses, it is not a book that normally would grab my attention. But at the suggestion of my wife, who knows me so well, I opened it and was captured. The opening paragraph hooked me.

"Indian wisdom says our lives are rivers. We are born somewhere small and quiet and we move toward a place we cannot see, but only imagine. Along our journey, people and events flow into us, and we are created of everywhere and everyone we have passed. Each event, each person, changes us in some way. Even in times of drought we are still moving and growing, but it is during seasons of rain that we expand the most—when water flows from all directions, sweeping at terrifying speed, chasing against rocks, spilling over boundaries. These are painful times, but they enable us to carry burdens we could never have thought possible…Floods are painful, but they are necessary. They keep us clear and strong. They move our lives onto new paths."

I have discovered that the journey is the blessing. Don't be so obsessed with preparing for the future that you miss the enjoyment of the moment.

© 2003, John C. Fitts, III.  All Rights Reserved. Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume I (2003).


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    Author

    John Fitts is a retired hospital chaplain and a contributor & publisher of Grace Drops. John lives in Palm Harbor, Florida with his artist wife, Patty. 
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