When the pandemic reared it’s ugly head and we started working from home, I became a dog without a job. At first it was nice to live what I call a “Country Club Lifestyle” of napping, eating, playing ball and then napping again, but that soon got rather boring. I missed seeing our clients, staff and visiting the patients at the cancer center. Then someone Doc knows came up with a great idea.
One day about a week ago, Doc was in the Uptown area of our suburb and one of the business owners she knows asked how I was adjusting to not being able to help people every day. ” Grover’s going with the flow, but I can tell he misses work.” Doc told her. ” Well why don’t you bring him to visit us and our customers, she said to Doc, we are feeling stressed with everything going on and could use some cheering up.” And with that a plan was hatched.
A few days later we stopped by to visit our first business. I was so happy to go and bring some cheer to the hard working shop owners that are trying to sustain their businesses during this pandemic and their customers. Now every week we visit another place of business, or stop by the farmers market as the locale farmers are having a tough time as well. I now feel useful again. It’s not traditional therapy work, but it’s a reminder that there are many people outside our regular scope of work that need a nice kiss and cuddle from a therapy dog during these difficult times.
” The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.” Barack Obama