"Another one bites the dust." Scott says it is the name of a song by the rock band "Queen" that he thinks of every year about this time. Scott and I are both getting along in years (Scott is 61 and, in dog years, I am almost 84). They seem to go by faster the older we get. In just a few weeks, it will be eight years since I met Scott and his daughter, Gabrielle, on a sidewalk in front of a PetSmart store.
I am not much on New Year's resolutions. I won't promise to lose a little weight, happily share my toys, or stop talking trash to the two big dogs down the street because I know its an exercise in futility. However, I do think a new year is a good time to reflect, but not dwell, on the achievements and the failures of the year gone by. Each year, we should strive to improve ourselves in some measure with respect to the past.
It is good to see Scott writing again. In 2023, he wrote very little that did not have to do with the practice of law. He told me he doesn't think anyone reads our stories. I know he's wrong, but I said it doesn't matter. He has to write like I have to bark. God gave him a voice and he has to use it.
Scott is still healing and learning and finding his way in a radical life transition and faith journey that began when his wife, Carolyn, died in 2018. He has battled grief, anxiety and depression. But watching him write is encouraging.
We all have stories to share. We all think we're alone in our struggles and no one is out there who listens or cares. But sharing is the first step toward healing.
Scott says he not only wants to write more this year, he wants to make time to visit friends and family he hasn't seen in awhile. He wants to reconcile with some and reconnect with others. I think those are two good goals for 2024 and I'm confident he'll accomplish them. As for me, I have been blessed with the joy of a good home and loving family for eight years now. My nightmares of homelessness
and anxieties of separation have faded. If, by sharing my story, it encourages another human to adopt a homeless pet in 2024 and give it a forever home, then that will be the measure of improvement I use.
Happy New Year!
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