On November 25, I went to check on things, as I do every day, at my local animal control facility where I volunteer. In the stray-hold area I saw “Zuzu.” She was emaciated and eaten up with mange- so she was itchy, smelly, and mostly bald from head to toe. She’d obviously been attacked by other dogs because she had deep white scars all over hear head and neck from being bitten aggressively. She also had a torn ear and a painful condition she’s had since birth (about three years) where her eyelids roll inward, causing her eyelashes to constantly scrape, irritate, and damage her eyes.
I just couldn’t leave Zuzu at the facility as I felt she needed some real TLC, so much to my family’s dismay, I brought her home.
From the day she came into my home she’s brought magic with her. From my husband’s 180 degree viewpoint change toward bully breed dogs, to a stand-out incident the other morning when I was complaining about my half dark Christmas tree that we’d spent several hours trying to get to light up, and Zuzu reached out and touched the tree with her nose and the entire tree lit up.
What makes Zuzu special certainly isn’t how she looks and it’s definitely not how she smells. It’s about her attitude. She is all about forgiveness and the future!
Zuzu forgives humans for neglecting her. She forgives other dogs for hurting her. She’s all about moving forward with an open heart. What better holiday lesson could we all learn?
This week and in the weeks beyond, focus on the future and let go of the past. Let forgiveness be your guide. Be like Zuzu and let go of past hurts and scars and take a chance to trust the people who have stuck with you and those new people in your life who give you hope that life in 2017 and beyond will be better.
PS- As soon as Zuzu’s skin clears up, she’ll be able to have surgery to fix her ripped ear and her eyelid condition. If you’d like to make a donation toward Zuzu’s surgery and help her take the next step toward her future, go to: https://www.youcaring.com/zuzu-712581.
