And hi. Today, I’m Gizmo, the (3.4 pound) certified therapy dog. I had important work to do today!
Today, in the little town of Sandy Hook, CT, in the face of one of our saddest tragedies, I witnessed the greatest outpouring of love I’ve ever seen. I snuggled with so many people, some shedding tears, some breaking a frown to smile at me, and some just staring blankly, still trying to grasp the ungraspable. And every one of those people who held me said 3 very important words before they let me go. “I love you, Gizmo.” Ok that was 4. But you see where I’m going with this.
As we were standing in front of one of the shops near the fire station, a shop owner quietly came out, smiled at me, gave me a kiss and a pat on the head, and then hung a note on her shop window. I think it’s an important message, right from the heart of one our Sandy Hook frens. I asked her if I could share it with all of you, and she asked me if I please would. So here it is:
“We’re all busy. We all have schedules and agendas jam-packed with various things to do. Our days, weeks, months and years are filled with appointments, classes, paperwork, phone calls, deadlines and parties.
Sometimes we find ourselves so busy that we forget to say goodbye to our loved ones before we leave for work in the morning. Sometimes we forget to take a few minutes out of our day to send a friend a birthday text, or give some affection to our dog.
However, whenever we are directly confronted with a tragedy of this magnitude so close to home, it makes us stop dead in our tracks. We automatically call our friends and family, reach out, give a hug and kiss, and tell someone we love them.
Why must a crisis have to occur to remind us what is truly important in life? Why do we have to be shaken up, jerked alert to realize what really matters? I’m sure
that all the parents, siblings, relatives and friends wish they had said the words “I love you” just one more time to the sweet child they lost today.
If there’s anything we can learn from the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, it’s that we ALL need to slow down, simplify our lives, and take the time to appreciate our loved ones each and every moment. Life is short; fragile. If we don’t do it now, we may never get another chance.”
--A Sandy Hook Store Owner
Frens, let’s be kind to each other. Love one another. You never know when a small gesture might make a huge difference in someone’s life.
Sined, The Gizmo.
