Mary has been at the assisted care facility since May, she moved to be close to her daughter. In order to move there, she had to turn her five-year-old cat over to the animal shelter in her small town, and she misses the cat and is worried about what has happened to her.

She is one of our regular visits, and she loves to stroke and touch Red, she smiles and talks softly to him, he sometimes lies at her feet and looks up at her. She loves the feel of him and the affection emanating from him. It never fails to amaze me how much it means to people at the edge of life when they see a dog, animals are a channel to their best, to love and good memories, to the connection of life.

Many of the people I meet are content where they are, they feel safe. There is sometimes an inevitable loneliness in the air, even in the best kind of care. Somehow, the spirit of an animal eases that, brings smiles.

Mary said she was worried about her cat, she had some difficult “problems” and wondered if she had been adopted. I wrote down the name of the shelter and said I would call them and find out what happened to her cat. When Red is there, Mary leans over and smiles, and the two connection in an almost tangible way.

Mary loves historical novels, I will bring her some.