Lola

Lola’s Story

As you know, Lola is not my first dog, but once you have a wonderful dog, and I have had more than my share of wonderful dogs, a life without one is a diminished life. I now have Lola and my life, of course, is so much fuller.

It amazes me how much love and laughter she brings each day, and really, how much closer I am with so many of my friends and neighbors as I share her sunniness (I joke, but she could be an ad for Florida tourism and sunshine) when I take her for walks.

Anyone who has had a dog they really loved knows few human beings give of themselves to another as a dog gives of itself. No matter how close we are to another person, few human relationships are as free from strife, disagreement, and frustration as is the relationship you have with a good dog. Every time we go for a walk she sees something new, as if she had never seen it before. This makes me see the same thing–a bird, the pond, and an old oak tree–in the light Lola’s “doggie” focus and intensity brings to experience.

And again, one of the greatest gifts we receive from dogs and I receive from Lola, is the tenderness they cause to grow in our own hearts. I was taught the Psalms from the Bible as a young girl and one of my favorites through all the years is the 23rd Psalm (in the English version of the Bible). “My cup runneth over.” That is not only true about Lola’s water dish, it is true of my joy in saying she is my dog.

Terezia Vajda