Before Christmas last year, I began fostering Bash, a dog from a single mother who had been evicted and forced to move in with family members, with whom she could not keep the dog. So I agreed to take the dog till she could get back on her feet. After living with me for 7 months, he went back to his family two weeks ago, and boy, do I miss him.
He was a Christmas miracle for me. He showed up right before the holidays when I had really been struggling with the “winter blues” and loneliness issues. He really changed a ton for me - his happiness and smiles were contagious.
We started exercising and walking a ton. We slept together, played together all day, as I write, and for the first time in a long time, when I came home at night, there was someone excited to see me instead of an empty, quiet house. I even discussed my anxieties with him, and he would smile, and I’d feel better.
When I was feeling ashamed about being a single man in my 40s who was struggling financially, he would smile and make me feel loved when I struggled to love myself. I found myself with a new sense of confidence and self-love I didn’t have before, and I found myself growing.
Two weeks ago, his owner secured a house for her and her kids, and per our agreement, I gave him back. He was so happy playing with the little kids he grew up with, but I’m not going to lie, I miss him, even though I’m very happy to see a dog I loved so much back with his family.
While it was sad to see him go, my fostering gave his family the chance to recover from the pain of loneliness that I had inflicted on myself. Fostering was a wonderful experience, and I would recommend it to anyone.
Melk
