Unconditional love in an unexpected place

Dear Dr. Forsythe:  I attended a weekly meeting last week in a nearby town.  I won’t go into details about the exact nature of the meeting but I will say that it was held in a church rectory and there were 25 or so people attending.  This hourly meeting was new for me, so I was a little nervous going for the first time, but legal problems and health issues dictated that I had to attend this meeting (and others like it).  I’ll need to continue attending for at least a year. The reason I’m writing this is that one of the regular attendees brought his little dog with him to the meeting.  It was a little Chihuahua I believe, and she was free to walk around through the duration of the meeting.

I found it rather odd and also distracting that the meeting leader allowed the little dog to be present, even while people shared their personal stories and challenges over the hour.

Do you agree that it is a little odd to have a dog traipsing around the chairs while a meeting is in session such as this?  Sign me

Puzzled newcomer

Dear Puzzled:  Yes; I suppose to the newcomer it could seem a bit odd to have a little dog running around inside a church rectory during a meeting when people are discussing personal issues that are sensitive and serious.  From what you are describing, its sounds like the type of meeting you are attending is a self-help group or 12-step such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.  I know that groups like this offer support, kindness and fellowship, and most importantly, help for newcomers to become clean and sober.  The thought of a sweet little pet meandering around among people who may have been gathering in such a place for such a purpose brings warmth to my soul and tears to my eyes.  I know that people struggling in life rely on a “higher power” for direction and sometimes a pet can provide the essence of unconditional love and joy we need on a moment to moment basis in order to stay the course.

I urge you to look at the good things that meeting provided, including the little dog, rather than focusing on the things that seemed odd.  Good luck to you dear–please keep going back and let the loving members of the group, both two legged and four legged, help you on your journey.

Dr. F