How many of us would just give up hope,
when life has been hard and we cannot cope,
sit in a corner and mope all day,
crying out loud: “I shan’t live this way!”
Hobbling on three legs Oliver had to learn to ascent one flight of stairs. He would try and he would persist but the challenge was difficult. He could make two or three stairs but the fourth and the rest were too much for him. Even a tasty treat could not lure him to the top. Even the tender calls from our children could no encourage him enough.
Frustrated and scared, he would try day in and day out, but he persisted, until after a few weeks he made it to the top. That was only the first challenge for Oliver because getting down the steep stairs posed another challenge in itself. So often Oliver would get it wrong and slide down a few stairs but he was determined to overcome his disability.
Today, Olive flies up and down stairs and is one of the fasted dogs on the Sea Point Promenade. He still walks like Quasimodo or Spiegel from The Lord of The Rings but when he is in full flight, he looks like a majestic Greyhound.
Physical scars and disability can be overcome, but how does one forgive, love again and resolve mental fear. How does one recover psychologically from abuse? How many humans endure harm and abuse and never recover psychologically? How many of us just give up on ourselves, friends and the human race? How many of us would just reveal in pity and sorrow?
How many of us could forgive and how many of us would open up our hearts to love again? How many of us would give life a second chance and even and have the desire to befriend our perpetrators?
Oh that abusive hand of shame,
how can I love it again?
Now you pat me affectionately,
softly, beautifully, tenderly.
But is it for real?
Please don’t make me squeal.
If you missed the first two instalments…
Part 1 – All about Oliver: Man lets down his Best Friend
Part 2 – All About Oliver: To Keep or Not To Keep
Oliver got excited with us throwing the ball…but he didn’t know what do with it
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