Buddy My Teacher
 

     In 1990 my mother was diagnosed with congestive heart failure but she was still able to do some traveling with one of her good friends out of the country. My mother had been living alone in Vermont after my father died in 1984 but was always what we called "The Happy Wanderer". My mother decided to move down to Connecticut where one of my sister's and I lived in a retirement community close by. Buddy, my golden retriever was five years old when my mother moved to Connecticut and we would go and visit her after work and on weekends.
     When my mother ended up in the hospital my sister and I discussed with my mother about moving in with one of us so she wouldn't be alone at a Hospice Facility. My sister who is an elementary teacher took my mother in at her small 3 room house and I took an early retirement so I could still do my chores at home (taking care of my horse) and then spend the day with my mother while my sister went to school. I took Buddy with me every day and he was very good with my mother.
     After my mother died, I saw a program on TV about Therapy Dogs and knew that Buddy would be great as a therapy dog. As a child I was always very shy and didn't get involved in clubs etc. but when I got Buddy I learned from him how to be more outgoing and bring smiles to other people. I found a woman at one of our local hospitals that started a Therapy Dog program and asked her to test Buddy. Buddy passed with flying colors at the age of nine and he is still an active therapy dog at age 13. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks (and this includes me)?
     I told Ruth (woman in charge of therapy dog program) that Buddy gets tired quickly walking the halls and I was going to see if I could start Buddy in a reading program with children so Buddy wouldn't have to do a lot of walking. Ruth contacted the research library at the hospital and now we are setting up a program at the hospital so children can read to the dogs. This will be good for the older dogs who still want to get out and meet people but tire easily walking all over the hospital. Without Buddy in my life, I would have never done anything like this.