What She's Here For

This is Indie's anniversary month. As of July 3, she's been with us for a year. I remember the day she showed up--it was a hot, Friday morning and she had taken up residence underneath my vehicle. I have to say, my initial reaction was fear when I first noticed her--we get so many wild critters around here I didn't know what she was. But she wasn't scared. She was very sweet and friendly and before long she was a loved member of our family.

I'm a big believer in the whole 'life shuts a door, God opens a window' thing so in the back of my mind I kept wondering why is she here? There are many houses on our dirt road, why is she here? Why did she pick this house?

And then Lexie the Husky got sick and spent a week at the vet clinic. Howard the Husky does not do well alone and so we put Indie in the backyard to keep him company. They got along perfectly and I thought, okay, this why she's here. Lexie's not going to survive this infection and Indie is here to soften the blow.

But then Lexie got better and everything was fine until a couple of months ago. On May 28 Howard got out of the backyard after the air conditioner repairman left the gate open. I've searched all through the woods, left flyers around town, contacted the local radio station (they have a lost pet report everyday), left our phone number with our neighbors and sent out a plea on Facebook. And I've cried. And cried and cried and cried.

Nothing has worked.

He's gone.

But now I know what she's here for.