By Mom had been alone and uneasy because Dad had just passed away. Her home was secluded, with few neighbors in sight. Mom feared that an intruder might try to come into her house through an unstable sliding door that faced the backyard.
Then, one morning, she called me to come over. She seemed upset, so I didn’t hesitate. When I arrived, she led me to the questionable door. There in the backyard sat a huge, muscular male pit bull. We slipped some food out to him but didn’t dare go outside at first.
Day after day and night after night, he occupied the backyard, never straying more than a few feet from the sliding door.
Initially, I was hesitant to engage with him. Over time, I got closer to him—in proximity and emotionally.
Mom would have a bowl of food ready for our visitor. She seemed so much calmer now. She wasn’t alone anymore. We sat at her patio table and talked. He listened to us as he rested on the patio. I came to think of him as my mother’s protector, and that endeared him to me.
A few months after our friend arrived, a crew came to repair the roof. One of the men asked about our dog, and we explained he was a stray. He said he would love to have him because he had just lost his pet.
Mom had to consider what was best for her new companion. She decided he deserved a family who would play with him.
It wasn’t easy, but it made Mom feel better when the man had already picked out a name for the pup: Big Boy!
But the circumstances surrounding the dog’s arrival always puzzled me. How did he get past her secured gate? His demeanor was always so serious and reminded me of a soldier on guard duty. When Mom was younger, she had rescued helpless dogs. This time, it was the dog who did the rescuing. It was as if he knew he was supposed to take care of her, and she knew he was sent to comfort her and remind her she was not alone!
