Day one on the farm, she bit me and drew blood. Once we saw how very afraid of everything she was and took her age into consideration, we knew we could not put her through the stress of another adoption, so we committed ourselves, for better or worse, to give her a home here for as long as she needed it.
Sometimes it was the "worse." I think she bit all of us, except Emily and Hannah, at one time or another! She wasn't mean or aggressive, just very, very afraid of any changes, sudden movements, and large spaces.
We thought we were getting a dog who needed us, but we got so much more. She was a daily example to our family that hurting hearts hurt others. We need to try to understand and always forgive. We need to keep loving people (and frightened dogs) that hurt us but to do so without allowing their behavior to damage us. She also taught us about patience and changing our pace to accomodate the needs of others.
She has been here for years and became a part of our family. We are sad this morning but are also thankful she is not afraid any more. We're going to miss those brown eyes seeking ours for assurance that all is OK.
I was right; that was the best picture I ever managed to get.
