I’m learning that life is full of unexpectedness (is that even a word?)

Some are life changing, some are small, some come with grief and sadness, and others come with pure joy, happiness, and laughter.

Maybe it’s just a friend surprising you on a rough day. Maybe it’s the lady in front of you paying for your Starbucks. Or maybe it’s finding a homeless dog off the side of the busy street.

September 11th, my mom and I were in Denver after a doctors appointment, when an old pup was clumsily walking along a busy street, collapsing from his hind legs giving out on him, and extremely malnourished.

Tears filled my eyes as we pulled over to check on him. He looked into our eyes and I said, “please let him come home and get lots of love from us until his owners find him!” We brought him home and hoped to reunite him with his owners, but after two weeks of flyers, emails sent, and shelters contacted, it was concluded he was abandoned.

For us to legally adopt him, he had to spend a whole week at the local animal shelter, and I quickly learned shelters are not for me haha. We were escorted to a section where owners surrender their pets, and within seconds I was sobbing, my heart hurting for all those animals deserving of love.

His health had rapidly declined over the week, not having any exercise, and sitting for 7 days was really hard on him, but mom and I still wanted to adopt him, even if it meant putting him down that same day. After a name change to Kevin Wallace from Bartholomew, papers signed, and still crying through it all, Kevin came home. Within minutes of being home, his energy came back, sneaking up the stairs to my room, and swimming in the pond, we ended up not putting him down that day, hoping to give him a few more days playing with Kia & Kynzly, but we didn’t know how long he would make it.

He quickly became buds with the girls, taking lots of naps with Kia, and exploring our backyard for hours with Kynzly.

This sweet guy, who we didn’t know his name, his past family, his past hurts, or past loved ones, let two crazy girls put him in a car. Pretty crazy.

Kevin had a short time to live, and we didn’t even think he would make it the next week, or next month, let alone, to December, three months later, but our time with him came to an abrupt end Monday (12/10), as we sadly had to put him down. After he lost all strength and movement in his hind legs, and lost control of his bladder, it came time. The final days with him were pretty difficult, filled with sleeping on the ground next to him, watching as the sweet boy started to leave us, and seeing the sparkle in his eyes start to fade. But the last three days were also filled with joys; a 13th birthday party, lots of peanut butter and icing, and way too many kisses and cuddles to count. I think what was inspiring about him, was how he was such a fighter, yet tender in the way he was towards to Kia & Kynzly, to our family and strangers.

Kevin was with us for such a short time, but he taught me many things. He taught me to slow down in life. That life doesn’t need to be filled with things to enjoy it, to spend a day, at a slow pace, like how he did. He taught me that everyone is deserving of love, no matter what kind of shape they’re in. Some of those people just need someone to come along and show them compassion. He taught me that you can always show tenderness, no matter what ‘monsters may be in your own closet.’ And lastly, he demonstrated how God is with us. 

We are clumsy all the time, we walk along a busy road called life and countless times collapse by the burdens of the world. We have past hurts, loves, and sins, but God comes to us in whatever mile of life and says, “Come home and let me love you.”

So unexpected, yet so beautiful to see God’s goodness, through picking up a stray dog.

Kevin was such a sweetheart, and a bundle of joy. Loving all the cuddles, scratches behind the ears, swims in the pond, fetch, and sunshine naps, Ol’ Kevin Wallace will be greatly missed. I still have his blankets next to my bed, and sometimes think I hear him walking up the stairs, but he’s in Heaven now, enjoying a pain-free life, and someday I’ll be able to hug handsome Kevin again.