Who can resist those eyes?

This is Taz . . . Short for Tasmanian Devil. Taz has an amazing story. As a puppy, she was destined for either a life of living on the street in an small Chinese town . . . Or the pot. But, happily, she was "purchased" by my daughter and given a life she was truly meant for as a faithful companion.

I met Taz for the first time when she was less than a year old. She was a little devil, finding ways to get into everything - typical of all golden retriever puppies. But from that first meeting, she accepted me as part of her "pack". She has somehow intuitively recognized me as A's mother and has accorded me with great respect and love.

When I visited again, over a year and half later, she not only remembered me, but given me the same love and respect as before. At that time, I purchased a very soft stuff animal - a little tan puppy - and gave it to her, telling Taz to take care of her "puppy".

It's been over a year since that time. When I arrived here a few days ago, Taz was overjoyed to see me. The first thing she did was to retrieve her "puppy" to show me how well she has taken care of it. Truthfully, I had expected it to be long gone. A told me that Taz has lovingly carried around the puppy ever since I gave it to her.

There is something remarkable about those canine friends that choose to live with us in trust and love. I, for one, am truly thankful for them all - not just Taz - but also my girls back home.