Soothing An Anxious Austin

I enjoy a laugh of any kind but I’ve always preferred a true life funny to a much circulated joke. Today’s story is a good example. My sister Rhonda lives in Dallas. For the last six years she’s worked as a nanny for two precious little boys. Aidan is the oldest. He’s eight. Austin is six. Rhonda has kept them both since Austin was just a few weeks old, so they’re as dear to her as if they were her own.

Not long ago Rhonda called me laughing about what the smallest one had just said. The boys were watching cartoons and having their afternoon snack when one of those heartbreaking commercials came on from the local humane society. Rhonda says it’s a very sad commercial about how many dogs have to be put to sleep because homes can’t be found for them. She’s usually quick to change the channel because it actually shows a dog being euthanized with a shot needle, but she was too late that day. The boys saw it and were horrified. “ChaCha,” the oldest one asked, “does that shot really make the dog go to sleep forever?”

“Yes, Aidan,” Rhonda admitted.
“That’s sad,” Aidan said.
“Yes, it is, Aidan.”

Six-year-old Austin couldn’t believe his ears! He looked from Rhonda to his brother and back at the television. “What, ChaCha? Why are they doing that?”

It wasn’t a conversation that Rhonda had wanted to have but she explained as gently as she could that there were too many dogs for them to take care of so the people there give the dogs a shot that helps them go to sleep and stay asleep.

Rhonda watched as Austin took in that information with a most serious expression on his face. After a long pause, he put his hands under his chin, rested his elbows on the table and sighed deeply. “Boy,” the little fellow said, “I sure hope I’m never a puppy.”

Hugs,
Shellie