Hope

I have a friend who is going through hell.

Have you ever tried to be there for a friend when it’s one setback or calamity after another? And eventually you feel as though you’ve run out of words to reassure?

I guess we all experience seemingly hopeless situations at one point or another. Maybe the lesson we need to learn when it seems the world is falling down around our ears is to be open to the help that comes from unexpected sources. Maybe it's persevering until things get better or the calvary comes.

Over the weekend I’ve spent a lot of time reading stories posted on the website for the Rolling Dog Ranch. The RDR is a refuge for disabled animals who would otherwise be euthanized, such as blind horses and three-legged dogs and deaf cats. Okay, I know it sounds weird, but check it out for yourself. Their stories are remarkable and a testament to love, life, and compassion. Start out with the story of Spirit, the paralysed Yorkshire terrier, who was beaten and crippled by her drunken owner, then rescued and brought to the ranch. Like every story, Spirit endures incredibly bleak conditions, yet somehow retains the will to live and the ability to love. Notably, the hand that plucked her out of her predicament came out of nowhere. Such stories are testament to hope.

I know not every story ends rosily, but enough do for one to wrestle with fate, to grapple with the odds, and fight as hard as one can for a positive outcome. That’s what my friend is doing, and I along with her. And I have to believe, like Spirit, her story will be one of grace, love, and determination.