I came across a picture of our furry boy, “Ace,” and thought I’d revisit a beautiful life...
Sometimes family members have four legs and even though they have a different voice, what they communicate is priceless. “Ace,” a furry son, came to us in 2007 and we were blessed to be with him for 11 years. Ace was a rescue we adopted from the SPCA. Little did we know he would rescue us, too…
There are as many events planned for us as we have planned for ourselves. Call it what you will, fate, destiny, to me it doesn’t matter as much as the humility and faith required to lean into the changes and forks in the road. Ace’s coming was years in the making, the dreamwork of a young boy. When Evan was discovering books, he was drawn to anything with dogs. He once said to me, “Dad, I don’t get this reading thing. Why is it so important?” He found the texts at school boring but give him a book with pictures of dogs and he was in the zone.
Before Evan actually became a reader he uttered that question that makes you begin the grieving process for your carpets, hardwoods, and furniture. At age four, Evan began his quest with, “Can we have a puppy?” The request sat on the back burner with the usual list of adult logic.
This did not stall his efforts.
He asked and asked, then went one step further and started a “puppy jar.” A tribute to his persistence and resilience he saved every penny from gifts, rewards, and chores. One summer morning Evan, age six, lugged his puppy jar downstairs and poured its contents on the table. A while later he asked, “Is 150 dollars enough to buy a puppy?”
Done. Heartstrings plucked. Crescendo….
“We will start looking when we get back from our family vacation.” Seven days later, bags still unpacked and by the front door, Evan emerged with his jar and asked if “we can get a puppy now?” Shortly thereafter, Ace found us.
On the SPCA website, he was named “Maestro” which we changed to “Ace.” Maestro would be just as fitting for he has taught us the value of caring, giving, and widening our world.
The moment etched in my memory all those years ago is one I often recall as the power of the dream and never giving up. As we left the SPCA, Evan stopped on the sidewalk just a few paces outside the front door. He knelt, looked into Ace’s eyes, gently patted his head, and said, “I have waited for you my whole life.”
