Just another walk....or not.

Today is my 7th day of battling some allergy/sinus/nasty cold thing and I must say that I am over it!  As with most people, being sick really gets in my way.  It's amazing however, how walking with Oliver can lift my spirits - even if I feel like crud.  This morning we took a really long walk on sidewalks, tall hills and in the grass.  One of Oliver's favorite things is to jump with me over a fallen tree that is off the beaten path in my neighborhood.  His trainer suggested that if I was interested in therapy work (and possibly agility training), that he needs to be exposed to walking on different textures, hearing different noises, and working with or around obstacles in his path.  His eagerness to please is expressed clearly through his eyes and always makes me laugh.  He has the same expression everytime..."Where's my treat?"    This afternoon, even though the couch and a cup of hot tea were calling my name, I decided to take all 3 dogs for a walk.  Toward the end of the walk, we came across some of my neighbors and a new family that had just moved here from New Jersey.  There were 6 children playing in the front yard ranging in ages from 2-10.  I let Oliver's leash fall to the ground and he quietly wondered over to see the children.  They were running, playing badminton, shooting things into the air but he was quiet and he was calm.   Children are drawn to him because he is so soft.  As we were talking, the mother from New Jersey came over with a tear in her eye and pointed out her 10 year old daughter who was sitting on the ground with Oliver and running her hand along his back.  She said that her daughter was terrified of dogs and that typically when they come around she gets so nervous that she physically shakes.  But there she was, with Oliver, each as calm as the other.  He just sat there and I think he knew and so did she.  I am in awe of this precious gift every single day.  I don't know how I got so  lucky!  I know he is going to impact lives in the future through his therapy work if it turns out that is a path that he is comfortable with.  If not, I know he will make my days sweeter!  Before we left, he grabbed the birdie from the badminton game and began running through the yard - all of the kids running behind him.  Definitely regretted not having the camera!  He just sat down while all of the children gathered around him and one of dad's shot a photo off the whole gang.  The dad then looked at me and asked, "Could we borrow him for our Christmas card photo?"  Perhaps the fear of dogs for one 10 year old girl began to shift today.  Thank you, Oliver - for helping a little girl with her fear and for giving me yet another reason to smile.