Over the years, thanks to the Doods, I’ve been fortunate enough to do so many things in addition to hospital visits. Some, like parades and parties were fun. Others, like the movie I Love You Man that I did with Charley were fabulous.
ELBEE I cannot believe she’s bringing that up again. Maybe it’s because it’s award season and she thinks she should have won an Oscar for best cameo.
I bring it up because, believe it or not, this week two random people asked if that was really me. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Some of the events have been incredibly touching. Gus and I recently joined a few other Pet Partners teams for A Magic Penny Volunteer Fair. Located at the corner community center just a few miles from my house, it turned out to be a very special afternoon.
A Magic Penny is a philanthropic organization that believes “through diverse and frequent volunteer events children and their parents/guardians can grow together and connect with the community.” I love their messages of spreading love through service and experiencing joy in giving.
There were several adorable Girl Scouts who had made dog blankets. When I 
asked which dogs they were for they answered, “homeless dogs, shelter dogs, oh just any dogs who need them.”
Two teenage boys were sitting at a table encouraging people to write personal thank you notes to first responders. With the year we’ve had in California, people were happy to have a chance to express their gratitude.
I spoke with a woman whose son has severe autism and is non-verbal. She is trying to influence businesses to become inclusive for people with serious issues rather than exclusive. Another woman was selling jewelry that she had made but was donating the profits to charity.
Throughout the afternoon, as I learned about all of the good work being done and shared what Gus and the other dogs did, there was such a sense of mutual purpose. And of course Gus was in his element working the crowd.
There was a moment of excitement when a fire truck from the nearby station pulled up in front of the center. It was a special treat for the kids and of course for Gus and yours truly. We had the chance to meet the fire fighters and celebrate their heroic work during the devastating wildfires.
I realize that the positivity in this post may seem a bit over the top even for me. It’s just that in the midst of these difficult and often tragic times, I was grateful to be even a small part of an event that celebrated kindness, courage and generosity.
