Maizy's Lessons Part 6: Tougher Than The Rest

"I learned you get what you can get
So if you’re rough enough for love
Honey I’m tougher than the rest"

Tougher than the Rest is one of my fave Springsteen songs. I have two women in my life, my wife and my dog, who exemplify this for me every day.

A few weeks ago, we noticed Maizy had a pink, round bump on her hind end. We decided this probably wasn't the best thing for her so decided to take her to vet when we got home from work that day. My wife in her wisdom came home from work early that day and took Maizy in. She called me saying that Maizy was having emergency surgery.

It turns out Maizy had a ruptured anal gland. That phrase just sounds painful. The vet said it is painful and can become toxic. Waiting another day could have been very harmful to her, possibly fatal.

With all of this going on inside of her, Maizy was tougher than the rest. The amazing thing to me is that Maizy never cried or showed us she was in pain and always sat when I asked her to even though it was probably very painful to do so. But because I asked, she did it.

Unbelievable...

That kind of love and devotion is not something we see in most, if any, humans including myself. I told everyone that if something like that happened to me, you would have heard me complaining about it immediately and for the next 10-20 years.

Maizy has shown me an example of what true love and devotion looks like. She is tougher than the rest, current company included. She has inspired me to show that kind of love and devotion to Marybeth, Grant and Maizy, and the people around me.

She has left me big shoes to fill. Thanks Maizy for being a model to me, I have much to learn....