Lost and Found

Forest Gump liked to quote his mom who told him, “Life is like a box of chocolates because you never know what you’re going to get inside.” I understand what he means. Life is full of surprises. On the other hand, I think life is more like a lost and found club. Let me explain in a way that you humans can understand.

My foster mom, Jet, lost her hair in 2007. She got cancer. It’s kind of like heartworms for dogs and eats up your insides. Ick. In any case, the meds that helped her stole her hair. On the other hand she found more time to do other things because she didn’t need to use her morning hours for washing, drying and styling her hair and if the wind started to blow, she found there was no hair to mess up.

In 2009, Jet lost her Shasta. The tiny rat terrier mix was her best friend for 13 years. They moved together, traveled together, celebrated together… You get the idea. Shasta was a huge loss for her. During the days following this loss, Jet found some things: clarity that nothing really mattered but the ones you love.

Later the same year, Jet lost a company and all her worldly belongings. She even lost a lot of pounds on something called the depression diet. Wow, it really worked because she looks great. Yet while losing all that she had, she found she had all she needed: her faith.

Jet has a friend who lost her job after 17 years. When no one else would hire her, she started her own business. She found it was the best job she ever had and gave her more joy (despite the lousy salary) than she had felt in many years. Another friend lost his house and the evil house grabbers made him lose his cats too. He was devastated. He had to move to a new city so in a way he lost two homes. On the other hand, he found a best friend and new clients.

This leads me to my lesson of the day… Life isn’t always easy. Anyone who says it is, is either delirious or they’re taking triple doses of Xanex (so says Jet). Life’s hard times are almost always due to losses. However, if you’ll look at loss as one side of a coin and flip it over, you’ll find something amazing on the other side. – Maybe something you really need.

Okay, here’s the question of the day from Shimmy who asked: My human and I are really sad because we lost our best friend Jax. He’s a runt of a little mutt and we love him. Can you help us find him?

Dear Shimmy:

I am so sorry you have lost Jax. Let’s see if I can help. First, check with your local pound EVERY DAY. Take a picture to the pound. Second, contact area rescue groups and No-Kill rescue centers. You can find them in the Yellow Pages or online. Third, go to the Internet Lost and Found sites like this one: http://www.found-pets.org/lostdogs.html. (Be sure to Google for others.) The Internet is like having millions of pet rescuers at your fingertips (or pawtips).

Good luck for a happy ending!

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