Picking Strawberries with Nate

 It was a spur of the moment decision. I took Nate with me to pick up strawberries at Southern Belle Farm. He's my special needs rescue lab. He came emaciated, cowering in fear, needy, seriously ill. He is now fat, sassy, loving, healthy and all rowdy boy. He was such a health challenge after his initial rescue that he had been in 8 homes in the 4 weeks before I picked him up. After the first day, I realized that I could never yell at him, scold him, or discipline him sternly. Most of what he did was out of his control.  If I was going to retrain him, we couldn't even talk loudly around him. For me, this was going to be a significant challenge, but it proved to be my saving grace and a lesson I needed dearly to learn.

We've made great progress in most behaviors over the last 24 months, but getting in a car meant bad things were about to happen-- abandonment or vet. I've been acclimating him little by little the last 6 months, but the trip to pick up strawberries is 40 minutes long. I figured I could run up to the window, get a bucket of strawberries, get back in the car and we'd be back on the road. All good. All quick. All soothing talk going over and back and only a minute of real trial while I was out of the car. Nothing ever really goes as planned though.

He did well going over. He actually looked out of the window. The snafu came when they didn't have any strawberries picked. I could have turned around and gone home, but then I would have spent almost an hour and a half driving with nothing to show for it. On the other hand, I could leave him in the car while I picked as quickly as I could. It was cool and overcast with a nice breeze so I risked it. I parked where he could watch me out of the front window and I could see him the entire time. I left all the windows 1/2 way down. Then, I became a little strawberry picking machine. I heard Nate bark after about 20 minutes and immediately quit, paid, and went to him. His reward for being patient was a turn around the parking area to sniff and do his doggy thing. He willingly jumped back in the car and we were off for home.

Going back, he actually stuck his nose out of the window. I couldn't have been more pleased. No anxiety. No accidents. No drama. He's proof to me that it doesn't matter what terrors we may have experienced in our lives. If we find our home, our sanctuary, a life with people who will accept us, care about us, nurture us, forgive us when we act out in fear, guide us with love and kindness, encourage us to be brave and try new things, we can overcome anything. I'm pretty sure that if anyone noticed, they would have thought I was yet another crazy dog lover who even takes her dog to pick strawberries. They wouldn't know that it was one of those major milestone days that affirmed what can happen when you choose to live a more positive life--one where you go to pick strawberries and you end up experiencing a miracle.