This is the story of a man and his dog.  The dog was a very friendly, yet powerful dog.  The man went everywhere with his dog, never once leaving the dog alone.

One day, the man went to a store, and it was very cold outside, so he left the dog in the car, only for a short while.  While he was in the store, something happened to the man.  He felt faint, and pain rushed up and down is right arm, while he started to feel some extreme pressure in his chest.

Thinking he was having a heart attack, the merchant and the other patrons at the store called for an ambulance.  The paramedics came quickly, and checked the man’s vital signs.

They decided that he needed to get to the hospital, and placed the man on a gurney, and wheeled him outside.   On the way, the man saw a young boy watching with some of the other patrons, when, he asked the paramedics to stop just for a second.  He looked at the boy, and the boy looked at him, startled.  He said the following to the young boy, who looked to be about ten years old.

“Please look after my dog.  His name is Rusty and he is in the car out front.  Then the man reached inside his pocket and handed the boy the keys to his car.  The boy responded, “yes sir, I will look after your dog until you’re better.”   “Thank you,”, and then he the paramedics, whisked him away into the ambulance.

The boy looked at his mother, and the mother said, “well, you’ve always wanted a dog, let’s go check him out.  Keep in mind, it’s only until this man recovers and returns from the hospital.”  “I know mom, I know.”

The mother and the boy went outside, and quickly found the car with the dog.  The dog, was noticeably upset with the sirens and flashing lights.  He also looked nervous pacing back and forth, looking out of each window in haste, for his owner.

The mother and the boy approached the car, and unlocked the passenger side door.  The dog, looking a bit confused began to bark.

The boy didn’t hesitate, and said, “Rusty, it’s okay, we’re here to help you.”   “Your owner has been taken to the hospital, and he asked me to watch over you, until he returns.”

The dog, whimpered as though he understood, and let the boy pet the top of his head.  The boy calmed the dog as though the dog knew what was happening, and the boy and the dog made an immediate connection.

The mom and the boy led the dog out of the car, and locked the doors.  They then went to their own car and brought the dog to their home, not far from the store.

The boy quickly poured the dog some water, and informed his mother that they needed to go to the pet store to buy him some food.  The Mother, responded, “yes, I guess we do.”

The three of them went back into the car, and they went to the pet store.  The boy, using a make shift lease made out of rope, led the dog throughout the store.  “Tell me, Rusty, what kind of dog food you eat?”  Rusty, enthusiastically led the boy and his mother throughout the store, and stopped right in front of the food that he usually eats.  He then put a paw on the bag, just to make sure the boy understood.

“Thank you, Rusty.  I knew you could tell me,” said the boy.  They bought a lease and a couple of other items they thought might come in handy.

That night, the dog lying in the bed with the boy, slept while he wondered and worried about his owner.  The boy, was so happy, for he always wanted a dog.

The mother, meanwhile, laid in her bed wondering how difficult it was going to be to turn this dog back in to the owner once he returned home from the hospital.

The next morning, the mother called the hospital to check on the status of the man, and to provide him with their contact information so he could call them when he was back home.

The nurse asked the mother, who she was, and the mother explained the situation.

The nurse then informed her that she was expecting their call and that the man had a message for her son.

He died the night before, and his last words were this message that he asked her to pass on to the boy.  She asked if the mother and the boy could come down to the hospital to talk with her.

“Yes, we can do that,” said the mother.

The boy, the dog, and the mother climbed into the car and drove to the hospital.  The dog stayed n the car while the boy and the mother went to talk with the nurse.

The nurse happily greeted the pair, and they walked to a waiting area where they could talk.

The nurse had a small bag with her, and a few notes.

She opened the notes and read verbatim the instructions that the man asked her to give to the boy.

“He asked me to write this down carefully.  He was not concerned about anything else, but his dog.  For he had no family, and asked me to tell you these things.  He knew he was going to die when he was in the store, but felt such a relief when he saw you, because he knew that unlike an adult, a young child would be true to their word, to watch over his dog.”

“Please take care of  my Rusty, I know you will, and that is why I have chosen you.”  Rusty is a unique dog, in that he knows how to understand what it is you are telling him.  You must read this letter to him so that he understands that I am no longer going to be his owner and that I have died.  Rusty and I have been through a lot together ,but he has many good years left in him, and I would like you to be his new owner.  If you have a question, just ask Rusty, and he will somehow give you the answer.  You just need to be open to the answer and look for it once you ask the question.  Sometimes, he will be trying to tell you something that you may not have asked, be open to that as well.”

“Thank you for watching over Rusty, I know I made the right choice in choosing you.”

The boy was saddened by the letter and the owner, but deep inside he was happy that he was now going to be Rusty’s new owner.  They thanked the nurse, and were walking out of the door, when the nurse stopped them and said, “There was one more thing.  He had me write a letter signing over his car to you, as gratitude for taking care of Rusty.”

When they returned to the car, the boy read the letter very carefully to Rusty.  He knew Rusty could understand what he was telling him, and Rusty laid in the back seat of the car, with his nose in his paws all the way home.

The next couple of days Rusty seemed to lose his energy and walked very slowly around the house.  He didn’t eat much, and the boy was beginning to get worried.

Then he remembered what the man had said, “If you have a question just ask him, but be ready for the response.”  The boy then asked Rusty, “Rusty, are you ever going to be the kind of dog you used to be?  I know you are sad and that it will take some time to get over the loss of your owner, but I’m just wondering if that means you are no longer going to continue to live?”

Rusty, laid on the floor and closed his eyes seemingly not hearing the boy.  The boy then went to bed as night began to fall.

The next morning, the boy was awakened to Rusty licking his face.  For the sun was up and Rusty thought that it was time for the boy to rise.

He seemed to have his energy back, and the boy gave Rusty a big hug.  Then Rusty jumped off the bed and ran down the hallway to awaken the Mother.

The boy quickly got dressed and grabbed the lease to give Rusty a morning walk.  Rusty was like a new dog.  He was happy, and energetic and running from tree to tree like he had never seen a tree in his life.

The boy was happy and could feel the energy that Rusty was radiating.

The next day, and the next day, were much the same.  The dog was alive again, and felt almost like a puppy.

About a week later, the boy asked Rusty another question.  “Rusty, I’m glad you decided to live again, tell me what made you change your mind?”

Rusty, then curled up in a ball, and then jumped up and sat on the boy’s lap.

The boy looked a bit confused, and then realized that Rusty was telling him that the boy was the reason, and that he trusted in him enough to let the boy carry him.  That kind of trust is not something that is easily given to a person, and he knew that he could trust the boy.

Thank you, Rusty, I won’t let you down.”  Rusty knew that, and he responded in such a way that the boy knew Rusty would not let him down either.

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The dog was a very smart dog, as all creatures are.  Dogs sometimes have a better way of communicating their feeling and their thoughts to humans than some other animals.  The dog was on the path to depression and had given up his will to live, but then the boy asked him the question about whether or not he was going to live again.

The dog slept on it for the night, but pondered the question.  Sometime during the night, though, he made a decision to live and that changed his entire physical form.  He had energy, and felt young again.  Sometimes, it’s not the answers that we need, but the question.  The boy was intuitive enough to ask the right question.

You need to realize that your own answers do not lie in a book somewhere or with another person.  Your own answers lie within the questions that you sometimes may not want to ask yourself.  Your inner self has the answers, as well as the questions, if you are willing to look deep inside to get those questions.

Sometimes, the questions are not what we want to ask, but need to be asked.  Sometimes, the way to a better life, and to health and vitality are through the careful asking of questions.  Like the dog, you know the answer – and will answer.  You just need to be open to the answer and listen to your inner self for signs of that answer.  Your inner self knows your truth, and you need to figure out how to connect and communicate with your inner self.

Much like the boy asked the dog a question, and then watched carefully for the answer.  You, too, can ask your inner self a question, and then look for the answers.

Sometimes, communicating with your inner self seems like a one directional conversation, much like when a human speaks with a dog.  But if you’re willing, and you are receptive to it, you will always get your answer, much like a dog will communicate back to you.

It is important to cultivate that relationship with your inner self.  We use the emotional guidance system to monitor emotions which tell you whether or not you are aligned with your inner self and the thoughts that you are currently experiencing.  But the next level, and an extension of that approach is to ask questions of yourself, and then sit quietly, or go about your day, it does not matter – watching for the answer.

Some people meditate, and others simply look for signs around them.  It could be something as subtle as finding a penny in the street, or having a total stranger tell you something that looks suspiciously close to an answer to your question.  Others might meditate clearing their head and finding that they are thinking the same thought over and over again, that turns out to be their answer.  Find your way, and cultivate it.

InspiraCard

People like to think of the world as a place where they can search and search for the solutions to their life long dreams and desires.  They look to others and other organizations for the solutions and the answers.  The thing we all must realize is that the answers come from the questions that we our self must ask.  Not someone on the outside to ask on our behalf.  Ask the question, and then spend the day like your are on a scavenger hunt, looking for the answers.  They will come over and over again, until you finally hear it.

Written Jan 8, 2008, 6:19 – 6:59 AM