Transforming Old Age and Illness Through Love
That’s Tobie, the fourteen-year-old beagle, on the left. And that’s my Laila, the sixteen-year-old babe, on the right.
Tobie is well on his way to getting to first base with his main squeeze, Laila. Not that he can do anything about it at this point, thanks to some uninvited snipping, but the fire is still a-burning in the furnace. My little hussy is holding paws with him while he’s blowing in her ear.
Spring love.
When this photo was taken, on 28 May 2015, Tobie was being treated for congestive heart failure, liver and neurological issues. Laila was being treated for heart and liver issues.
You’d never know it by looking at the photo, would you?
If you’re not familiar with Laila’s story, she was diagnosed with terminal splenic and probable liver cancer on 29 April 2013. The vet estimated she’d be gone in six weeks. I was still recovering from a disabling stroke I’d experienced thirteen months earlier. I asked myself, “If feeling unloved and unsupported destroyed my health the previous year, what might happen with her health if I did my best to make her feel completely loved and supported?” I surrounded her with love, I asked people around the world to pray for her, and I dedicated time each day to doing things with her that were fun for her to do. Without surgery, chemo, radiation, or without utilizing other extreme means, the cancer vanished within the next month and never returned.
My first dog’s breeder told me every dog needs a job in order to be happy and healthy . I’ve met many dogs whose jobs were to be a friend, a companion, a co-worker, and a guardian. Laila is the only dog I’ve met whose job was to be an international inspiration. I shared her story with the many people we’d meet on our walks, and I shared her story with the many people who read my blogs. People cried. People asked how we did what we did. People stared at us with disbelief. I’ve lost count of how many people have told me, “I really needed to meet you today.”
I’d tell her each day, “Your job is to keep living for as long as that works for you. My job is to keep telling your story.” She’d stand up straighter, and she’d smile her beautiful Laila smile. I believe she knew the importance of her job, and I believe she enjoyed doing her job.
If you are wondering how it’s possible that love can transform the seeming limitations of old age and serious illness, I invite you to look closely at the photo. Tobie, in that moment, is completely devoted to his Laila. Loving her is the most loving thing he can do for himself. Laila, in that moment, is completely dedicated to receiving Tobie’s devotion. Receiving Tobie’s love is the most loving thing she can do for herself.
And that’s the secret. Run towards love.
My beautiful and inspirational Laila passed away on 2 June 2015. The day before she passed, we were in yet another park, telling her story to yet another person. She did her job for as long as she could, and she did it phenomenally well.
My job is to keep telling her story.
Stay tuned.
Copyright 2015 by Sheryl Hirsch-Kramer. All rights for any further use reserved. For permission to repost or reuse the above only in its entirety, fill out this form: http://www.transformingthroughlove.com/contact/ The information presented at www.TransformingThroughLove.com and during coaching sessions is of a general nature and is not intended to be use as legal, medical or professional advice. None of the information on this website is intended as a substitute for the counsel of a qualified doctor/physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other trusted health professional. Always contact your own health care provider to assist you with your medical or health issues. The information presented here is only meant to support you while you are being cared for by your own health care provider during your life’s journey. It is not intended to be used as stand alone legal, medical or professional advice. We cannot and will not take any responsibility for the results or consequences of any attempt to use or adopt any of the information presented on this web site as legal, medical, or professional advice.Always consult your physician or trusted health professional to design a treatment plan for your own or for someone else’s wellness. All the information on this website is intended solely as loving support intended to accompany traditional medical care, not as stand-alone advice. We appreciate your donations; please send a message via the contact form for donation instructions.If you like what you’re reading here, please forward this website to a friend: http://www.transformingthroughlove.com.
What a beautifully told depiction of her journey. She is missed by many but still with many of us.
I had the privilege of knowing Laila but never appreciated the power of her healing, until my husband died. Laila stopped, every day, to cleanse the spot where police and paramedics worked on him, for 45 min. The negative energy in this spot, on my front lawn, was so heavy I couldn’t walk by it or over it (very small front yard) without feeling this overwhelming, sad, draining feeling and replaying the whole scene over and over. Laila continued to cleanse this spot until one day, that replay in my head was gone! That negative energy had been cleansed completely by Miss Laila. She continued to work with us for the remainder of her earthly life. We are eternally grateful to both Sheryl and Laila for giving us the love and support we needed.
I appreciate your sharing this story, Erica. It’s a beautiful example of Laila’s commitment to helping whoever needed help. I greatly appreciate your and your daughter’s being there for her and for me during Laila’s final days of life. The memory of her dragging me to your house multiple times each day so she could barge in, examine the contents of your dog’s toy box, and evaluate if there was any food worth stealing before abruptly leaving puts a smile on my face. In this moment, I especially enjoy revisiting these precious memories. Thanks, from my heart, for being our friend.