Bubba and I went to the market before her doctor’s appointment yesterday, and there was a puppy there. Barely able to contain her excitement, she walked up to the puppy to have a chat and give him some loves.

I could almost hear her wondering why he wasn’t moving or giving her licks when she was patting him. When it came time to leave, she got so sad that we couldn’t take him with us – and there were tears as she waved him goodbye.

(My heart broke just a little for her because it will be a while before she understands.)

The puppy in question, was a fundraising collection statue for the Guide Dogs. Guide dogs are trained to be the eyes of blind or vision impaired people, to help them live independently.

So many things went through my mind as Bubba was giving the Guide Dog loves. How lucky I am that my Love Bug is healthy. How sad it is that some people never know what it is to see – even the ordinary everyday things that most people would miss – like a statue of a Guide Dog in the corner of the market.  How phenomenal these dogs are that they are able to be trained to ensure people can move through life safe from harm they can not see.

And I couldn’t help but be so glad that of all of the shiny point of sale items which are aimed at toddler level to catch their attention, the one thing my Bubba was drawn to was a puppy dog. Bless.

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