A Light in the Darkness

I woke up yesterday to a very, very long WhatsApp message from our daughter, Emilie. I’ve been more than a little worried about her. She went to stay with my Mom over Spring Break – planning to come to Valencia for the summer – and now her boarding school is closed for the rest of the year. Online classes are being held so she can finish her senior year and officially graduate. But no prom or Senior Party. No graduation ceremony where we can celebrate watching her walk across the stage and receive her hard won diploma. With all the colored cords around her neck that she worked so hard to earn. National Merit scholar and many more. She is a 3.95 gpa student – after a tough freshman year.

There have been many blows for her, very rapidly, while being so far away from us and trying to cope with such a massive upheaval in her life. So the picture of a long message, before a coffee, made my heart race before I put on my glasses. What could be so important that she would write this much in the middle of the night? She knows it usually wakes me up so she doesn’t do it. But my phone had been in the living room so I hadn’t gotten it until morning.

Her plea? She’d found a puppy that was available. A cute little half Akita, half Malamute who needed a home. And Emilie was begging me – after begging her Grandmother – to let her have it. This little ball of fur will need shots and to be spayed, eventually. But right now Emilie wasn’t thinking of all that. I had to wait until she woke up to respond but I told her Yes – go ahead. She decided to name it ‘Luna’ and I couldn’t agree more. It’s perfect because in this dark time we all need to look for the light. And little Luna will be the light for Emilie. Filling her heart with love as she pours everything she has into this little puppy.

I couldn’t think of anything more lovely. I asked my Mom what she thought and she said she thought it was a great idea. And she’ll take care of little Luna when/if Em can attend college this Fall. Right now, like so many the University is preparing for online only.

‘I think it will be good for me too.’ she said, ‘Something to focus on.’

So welcome to the family, Luna. Take care of Emilie – because you’ll certainly be loved more than any dog in the world, from this day forward. We all need a little good news right now and this is the cutest one I could imagine.