Today we visited with a 3 year old girl in the hall who was riding around in a wagon pulled by her mom. They stopped to spend time with us and talk about their dog and 2 cats. The mom let me know that her daughter was in the hospital for a surgery for the first time and she was a little out of sorts. The little girl remained seated in her wagon and would occasionally pet Charlie over the side. Her mom was very interested in petting Charlie and listening to the many happy noises Charlie emits (sometimes I think the parents need pet therapy just as much as the patient). Suddenly, the little girl leaned her head over the side of the wagon and Charlie, instinctively, stood up on her back legs and ever so gently gave the girl a little kiss on the nose. The little girl started laughing hysterically as she wiped her nose. Her mom looked at me with tears in her eyes and said “That is the first time she has smiled in days.”

Written By Carolyn Spalding