Rasta, Kachina, Ty, Lacey, Squeeky and I spent the week with a ‘new arrival’ up here, Lucky, showed her around her new home! As the week progressed, Lucky became more and more content.
      The transition from being with your earthly family takes time, as we all can testify to and we want to stay with her, to give her strength and help make her purr with joy again. Squeeky helps much more than us big dogs, since she is a cat, she seems to have that feline side that we are somewhat short of. Having friends at your side somehow makes the days a little brighter and helps heal the sorrows we all face.
      Somehow as we were walking we got on the subject of St Patrick’s Day. All week we have seen parades from above, people wearin’ the green, and some consuming green beer, in celebration of this holiday!
      Rasta asked ‘so many are looking for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, not sure I understand.’
      I recalled a story I once heard. Lucky and the rest of them wanted to hear ‘the rest of the story.’ So I went on to explain....
      Once upon a time, there was an old couple. They were very poor and didn’t have enough food. Their only possessions were a few ragged clothes and a big, shiny, black cooking cauldron.
      One day, the man went to look for jobs in the village while his wife worked in their small vegetable garden. The work was hard for her, as she was getting old. Tired and hungry, she made a feeble attempt to pull a tiny carrot from the ground.
      “What are you doing?” a tiny voice cried.
      The lady sat up, startled. “Who’s that?” she asked, looking around.
      “Look down, miss. I’m a leprechaun!” the voice cried, this time a bit more loud.
      The woman looked down and gasped. Shaking the dirt off himself was a small leprechaun. He got up and skipped towards the couples’ tiny one-room house. The lady followed him.
      Settled on their table, crudely made of chopped wood, the leprechaun told the lady why he was there.
      “You see, I have come to grant one wish to you and your husband. You must think very hard and carefully about it and I will be back tomorrow to grant it.”
      With that, he ran out of the house and disappeared.
      The man and woman talked about their wish all night, but couldn’t come to a conclusion. There were so many things they needed.
      When morning came, they were exhausted, when the couple heard the leprechaun’s tiny voice---“I’m back to grant your wish! What would you like?”
      “Money!” was the wife’s swift reply. “Riches, gold and silver...”
      “Tools, a proper house, a job, so many things...” the husband answered.
      “Oh, and clothes! Beautiful fashions!” from the wife.
      “YOU ARE BEING SELFISH!” the leprechaun screamed.
      All conversation came to a sudden halt. The husband and wife looked expectantly at the leprechaun.
      “For this, I will not grant any wish of yours. But, since you are in need, I will give you a hint. I have hidden a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. All you have to do is find it.”
      The man and woman looked at each other, excitedly.
      “We must go, now! Quickly!” the man cried, rushing out of the house. “Come on!,” he gestured madly at his wife.
      She nodded and they took off into the horizon, searching for that pot of gold.
      To this day, they are still searching and rumor has it that there actually is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
      After I finished the story I began to think....how many times did I hear stories, while laying in my master’s office, of people searching frantically for their pot of gold; only to end up lonely and lost!
      Lacey said many times that she saw people walk past the very things that bring happiness in search of the pot of gold.
      Ty added that people seem to be in such a hurry to get to the top, or to have the most money truly believing this is the path to happiness, but they miss out on the golden moments of life.....Like the times a child wants to play ball, or read a story, a peaceful walk in the woods with ‘us’ on a leash, spending time with family and friends, laughter, play, quiet moments reading a book, sharing moments with their husbands or wives, forgetting work and obligations for a moment to reflect on the special gifts given by God to enrich their lives and others around them. These are special and there is nothing else in this world like them...
      “Gee, the list can go on and on,” said Lucky, adding “If others could only feel and see what I am experiencing now, that my earthly moments are over. I don’t have any regrets, I gave my masters all the love I could, purred often, played and entertained them when they’d bring the cat toys out, even if I didn’t want to chase that silly little mouse around on a string, it always brought smiles to their faces and comfort if needed, and I ‘d purr. When I longed for their touch, or to lay beside them, they welcomed me! This was my pot of gold!
      As I thought, my pot of gold was being so happy to see my master come home after a long day. I’d wag my tail, jump in total excitement, my head would shake, and he’d leave me outside and then... The tennis balls would come out, and oh we’d run and play fetch ‘til we got tired and he’d smile, and my whole body would shake in happiness.
      “He’d feed me, light a fire and then I’d lay at his feet, and we’d enjoy the peace and contentment together.
      Rasta jumped in and said her masters’ would take her for a ride in the car, and then stop and go for long walks in the woods. When we crossed a stream I got to run and play in the water, chase a stick or two, then they’d build a fire, cook, and the best part is they’d share that campfire food with me! And, there is nothing like the taste of table scraps, the ultimate gift! Who ever thought dry dog food was idea of a feast!
      “Content, I’d curl up with them in their tent, and we’d all snuggle for the night...I was loved---my pot of gold,” Rasta opined.
      Squeeky remarked that all of us had found our pot of gold.
      “We didn’t have to search frantically for it, we found that wonderful pot of gold each and every day. We didn’t have to look very hard, it was right in front of us.”
      We all closed our eyes to take a nap, in the warm sunshine, amongst friends. I looked up, for a moment and caught glimpse of a little person in a green suit and hat, running and jumping through the meadow.... a leprechaun? My tail was a waggin!
      ---Gretta
      Gretta was a Golden Retriever.
      She spent most every weekday for
      15 years at The Boardman News,
      greeting all who entered with a wag
      of her tail! She died in Nov., 2012.