I hope all is peaceful with you and your loved ones as we wend our way through this holiday season. My last two weeks have been uneventful in as much as I haven't been able to move out of bed for any extended period o f time. I'm well on the mend now, but anyone who has had pain in the lower back knows how much fun it ain't. The worst part was the profound disappointment I saw early in the ordeal every day on the face of my puppy, Morris. He couldn't understand why I wasn't bounding out of bed, getting dressed and taking him to work each morning. How else could he make sure that his staff was able to fulfill their daily requirement of scratches and smiles? What of the restaurants that we frequented on a daily basis together, how could they ever overcome the emotional loss of not sneaking him scraps of food and cookies? He had rounds to keep, darn it and I was keeping him from them.

As I was able to move from the bed and would walk anywhere near the front door, I would feel a push at my ankles just to make sure that I knew what direction I needed to go in order for him to keep his appointed rounds. My staff would call to see how I was doing, but I know they missed his face more than mine. Where else can the editor of the nation's first caregiver magazine go to work and be known as Auntie Nancy, or a highly skilled internet expert, Auntie Heather? And how about our erstwhile Publisher, Uncle Stevie?

Actually, one of the things that made the past two weeks less painful was the constant companionship of my guardian angel. Morris would always be by my side as I awoke, adding a few licks for their medicinal value. This was the best medicine possible, and I didn't even need to get a referral to see the specialist. I have heard a lot of tails (pun intended) from my fellow caregivers about the comfort that their pets offer them and their loved ones. Please take a moment and share your caring pet and pet care stories with us. 

Go ahead, give Morris something to read when he gets back to work.

Gary Barg
Editor-in-Chief
gary@caregiver.com