Today's MOSTLY TRUE SHORT STORY: The Yellow Lab

With Rexie

It's magic, really. But, it only works if you believe.

I do.

Do you?

I was in my car, running a few errands when I approached a 4-way stop sign at an intersection near my apartment. As I stopped to check the crossing, I noticed an elderly women walking a dog who, at least in so-called dog years, seemed even older than she. It was a yellow Labrador Retriever with the lumpy appearance that is typical of that breed as they age. I know because I recently lost my own, cherished yellow Lab, Rexie, at the ripe old age of 13+.

As I stopped at the intersection, I looked over at the couple and smiled broadly at the dog. And, I'll be damned if that dog didn't stare right back at me and smile, too! And, I mean STARE. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it seemed much longer. That dog wouldn't take his eyes off me. Even when I started to pull away and the dog's owner began tugging on the leash to get him to move, he never let his eyes drift away from mine.

Eventually, we went our separate ways. But, I could not help but make the pleasant assumption that, somehow, that dog knew about Rexie and was sending me a signal that all is well with him. Or, stranger still, perhaps it WAS Rexie for at least that brief period of time. One way or the other, it was a special moment that stayed with me for the entire day.

Yes, it is a type of magic - the type of which happens most frequently when we least expect it. And, it can only be felt if you allow yourself the freedom to believe in things that can't be explained through ordinary means. Sure, the entire encounter may have been a simple case of happenstance. Or, it could have been much more. I choose to believe the latter.