By Richard Mabey Jr.
Is it possible that God can bring an incredible blessing into our lives, through the medium of a dog or a cat? It was in the early autumn of 1982 that my life had suddenly taken a spiraling down slope. Hope, inspiration and encouragement was to come to me in the form of a little Shetland Sheepdog that my sister named as Gidget.
In the Spring of 1982, I had moved into “The Little House” on the property of the old Mabey Estate. The Little House was located directly at the corner of Route 202 and Mabey Lane. The home had two bedrooms. The smaller, front bedroom, I used as my bedroom. The larger, back bedroom was my office.
My Aunt Vi, my dad’s sister, had given me an old model photocopier. I used it to print a little weekly newsletter that I named the Hook Mountain Journal. The paper was printed on the old photocopier that my dear aunt had given me.
I became very good friends with the niece of the elderly folks who lived in the old canal house on Mabey Lane. Devon hailed from Chicago and retreated to small town life and the rural environment that Mabey Lane so wonderfully afforded its residents. Truth be told, I fell in love with Devon. And, she often told me that she cared for me. But as fate would have it, in the late Fall of 1982, the call of the excitement of the big city, echoed Devon back to Chicago. We wrote each other about a half dozen times, then came the time that I never heard from her again.
Things got even worse when two of my full-page advertisers quit advertising with The Hook Mountain Journal and began pouring their advertising dollars into cable television commercials. Soon, the financial impact took its toll, and I was forced to discontinue printing HMJ.
I was broken, defeated and deeply saddened. But then a magical moment came to my life. My sister, Patti, saw a little ad that the Rescue Sheltie people had taken out in a local paper. We answered the ad. And long story short, we adopted that precious little Shetland Sheepdog. My sister named her Gidget.
We knew very little about Gidget. We had no idea how old she was. She had been found walking along a major highway. And, by the grace of God, had not gotten run over.
Every morning, before going to my job at Oral-B Toothbrush Company in Fairfield, I would take Gidget for a long walk. I would awaken at six in the morning, giving me ample time to walk Gidget along the wooded path to the old Morris Canal and back. Then, after work, I would once again take Gidget for another long walk to the old canal path. Gidget simply loved walking along the old tow path of the historic canal.
Gidget’s joyful strides brought hope and splendor back into my heart center. I was able to walk the old canal path, that Devon and I had traversed all so many times the past Summer, with a newfound outlook. With each and every walk, that the magical Sheltie and I took, the sting of the pain of the remembrance of Devon began to fade and evaporate.
When winter came, I soon learned that Gidget loved the snow. I think she found it to be all so fascinating. I remember how enchanting it was, to see Gidget high step it through the white blankets of freshly fallen snow.
Sadly, in the Summer of 1996, Gidget became all so seriously ill with kidney failure. On a sad day, in the midst of August of that year, our blessed and precious Shetland Sheepdog went Home to Rainbow Bridge.
If you are thinking about bringing a dog into your life, please do consider adopting a rescue dog. No matter how old the dog is, nor what breed they are, a rescue pup will deeply know that you rescued him or her. It may well be one of the most life changing moments of your entire life.
Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He has recently had two books published. He currently hosts a YouTube Channel entitled, “Richard Mabey Presents.” Richard may be contacted at richardmabeyjr@gmail.com.