Joyce had had her dog Bob since she was five. But it seemed like he had always been there. He was one of her best friends. When kids at school were mean, she could always come home and find Bob waiting for her. She was now sixteen, and her older brothers were off fighting in the war. She missed them.
Personal Voice
More Personal Voice Features
Making the Way Back
Joyce's dog, Bob, had been with the family for six years. From the time he saved Joyce's life when she was five, he had become an integral family member. But one morning, right after they had finished harvest, Joyce called for Bob, but he never came.
It’s Not About Being Perfect
Bob had saved Joyce’s life when she was only five, so her father had let him stay on the farm. Bob showed he was an intelligent dog, even capable of getting the cows in for milking and shutting the gate by himself. Joyce thought Bob was almost human. But one day, as she and Bob were walking through the pasture, something happened to remind her that he still had the instincts of a dog.
Freeing Bob the Dog
Bob, the dog, had really become part of the family, saving five-year-old Joyce from the bull and showing that he could bring the cows from the pasture for milking, even closing and latching the gate. Sometimes the family members wondered how he had learned to do everything he did. Then, one day, they got an inkling.
A Smart Dog
After the stray dog saved Joyce’s life, it was allowed to stay, and Bob quickly became part of the family. The first thing Joyce did was to give him a bath and a good brushing. When she finished, her brothers, Mathol and Delos, gathered around. Mathol petted Bob and said, “He’s a right nice-looking animal when he’s clean.” “True,” Delos said. “He doesn’t even look like the same animal.” But the cleaning showed something else strange about Bob.
A Dog Named Bob
Mom grew up during the Depression, and to stay around the farm, animals had to have some productive value, such as giving milk or eggs. Cats at her home ran wild, catching their own food. If they were good at that, they were allowed a home in the barn, but nothing more. Anything else was another mouth to feed and was unneeded and unwanted.
Community Teamwork
Too often it seems like all the news we hear is bad; at least a high percentage of it is negative. That’s why I always look for positive, uplifting stories. There was an event that occurred over the last few weeks in our community that is worth retelling.
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