Page 7 - Publishing Inspiration Christmas Card 2023

Bo went to every room, crisscrossing back and forth across the hall. The two
men, trailed by the director and most of the staff, followed him.
In one room there was a lady who had had an accident followed by a stroke.
She had limited motion in her legs and one arm, but could not turn her head, speak, or
use any facial muscles. She just stared blankly into space. Bo jumped up on the bed
beside her.
Though she couldn’t turn to see him, she must have sensed Bo was there. She
slowly moved her one mobile arm and brought her hand to rest on Bo’s head. Then,
slowly, she stroked his back. As she did, even though she couldn’t smile or show
expressions, her whole countenance brightened. Gary thought he might even have
seen the slightest smile.
Bo stayed there for quite a while, and when he went to the next room, the
nursing home owner turned to the director. “I know I have a no-animal policy, except
for service animals. But as far as I am concerned, this little dog does more service and
brings more happiness to these people than the rest of us combined. You let that little
dog in with free rein anytime he wants.”
The nursing home director smiled. “Yes, sir.”
Gary learned she really liked Bo. She was just following the rules. And from
then on, every day when Gary left for work, he opened the door for Bo to go to work,
too. Bo would go to the nursing home all day. Everyone started calling him Dr. Bo
and would say, “Dr. Bo is here to make his rounds.”
Bo never missed a day until God called him home. When that day came, Gary
missed his little friend and missed seeing Bo wagging his tail on his way down the
street to the nursing home. But he imagined that in heaven, a multitude of Bo’s
friends who had preceded him there were waiting to greet him and noise it around
heaven that Dr. Bo had come and was ready to make his rounds again.

4