I debated on whether or not it was appropriate to post this article to the Manifesting Abundance website…for about three seconds. Of course it’s appropriate. This article is about being open to new experiences, being at the right place at the right time, being aware of one’s feelings, and definitely about manifesting abundance….
I have been obsessed with a computer project for almost a year, to the exclusion of almost all else other than gigs, vittles, and the dreaded housecleaning. I’ve been living in a ‘virtual’ world. My computer has been acting up for the last month; she finally gave a groan that was a little too loud to ignore, so I packed her up to send in for repairs on Saturday morning.
Then my husband, David, and I readied for a trip to Grand Junction, Colorado, the closest Big City from our home high atop the Rockies. Dave had been cramming for weeks for an exam he was going to take that day. As we were preparing to leave, I mentally ‘felt out’ the situation, wondering if he would pass the test. I got the word WIN. Good. I got the word WIN again. Great. Two WINS.
The weather was perfect – we had a lovely and leisurely drive down through the mountains to the valley below. I dropped Dave off at the exam headquarters just off of Horizon Boulevard at noon. As he was going to be there for two hours, I decided to head over to the Mall (a big whoop for us mountain dwellers—Department stores! Book stores! A Food Court! A Red Lobster! And bargains galore!!!) to do some Christmas shopping and pick up essentials. But first, I figured I’d drop by PetSmart to get my Kitten Fix. (I had no intention of actually bringing a new pet home. We have a humungous ginger cat, Rodney, who rules our proverbial roost; while I would be happy to live in a menagerie, one giant feline has been plenty for Dave.)
As I pulled up to the Horizon stoplight, a parade of motorcyclists in Christmas décor began to swing around a corner onto the boulevard. The road was blocked off for fourteen minutes as more than a thousand tinsel-draped Harley Davidsons bearing a multitude of Santas, Mrs. Santas, elves, and sidecars laden with teddy bears, dolls, oversized candy canes and extravagantly wrapped gifts roared by.
I discovered later that the parade was the Grand Junction Harley Owners Group 30th Annual Toy Run. Photo courtesy of Grand Junction Harley-Davidson.
When the parade concluded, I continued to make my way the few short miles toward my destination. Traffic was heavy, I assume with holiday shoppers, so I decided to take a ‘shortcut.’ The shortcut, as shortcuts tend to do, ended up costing me an additional ten minutes.
My point—I arrived at PetSmart about twenty-five minutes later than I normally would have. Rather than heading straight for the kitten adoption center to the right of the store, it occurred to me to head over to look at dogs that were also in need of homes. I arrived there exactly at the same moment as a girl named Shar. She had with her what appeared to be a gorgeous white Irish Wolfhound. I took one look at this spectacular creature, and felt…a warmth in my chest, sort of an awed feeling. I listened as she explained to a Pet Samaritan representative that she wasn’t able to keep the dog—with her three children, other pets and numerous responsibilities, she just couldn’t swing it. I started asking her questions: What was he? (Irish wolfhound/poodle mix.) Was he healthy? (As a horse.) Was he good with cats (especially humungous ginger ones)? Was he trained? Housebroken? Did he bark a lot? The answers she gave were all exactly what I wanted to hear, but I was still a bit dubious. What was I thinking? Was I actually considering adopting a dog the size of a Shetland pony? Yes, I was. My final question to her before I decided, “This big boy is mine,” was, “What’s his name?” His name was Winchester.
Winchester. WIN. This was the second WIN I had come up with earlier in the day.
The Pet Samaritan rep reserved him for me while I went to pick up Dave (who, yes, passed the exam with flying colors). I told him I had a “little” surprise for him. The dog had won me over, but how would Dave feel about him? We returned to the store. He was suspecting I might try to talk him into adopting a tiny black ball of feline fluff (or a parrot or a snake), so was more than a touch astonished when I introduced him to the Big Boy. It was love at first sight for both of them.
We returned home Saturday night with two WINs.
Win has turned out to be a huge joy, and a huge blessing. He’s incredibly gentle, well-trained, intelligent, fun-loving and loyal.
I still spend time in my virtual world, but now find myself living much more in the “real” one as well. Thanks to this marvelous animal, I am experiencing an abundance of something I never knew I was missing. I’m more alive and happy than I’ve been in ages.
How does Rodney feel about Win? An eighty-five pound Irish Woodle probably wouldn’t have been his first choice, but he’s coming around.
“Money will buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail.” Richard Friedman