My daughter Avantika adopted an Indie from an animal rescue shelter a couple of years ago. She was just a few months old then and friskier than frisky could get! My daughter christened her Lola.
A few fun-filled months down the line and she discovered that Lola had contracted the dreaded Distemper virus. That was quite a blow to all of us, especially my daughter. Lola was her very Soul!
What ensued then were endless visits to hospitals, clinics and vets with just that one hope, just that one assurance, that Lola could be medicated to survive the virus. Eventually, we had to accept the fact that there was only a remote 5% chance of survival and would have to now consider euthanasia.
It really was left to my daughter to decide. So I took the bold step in asking her what was on her mind. She looked at Lola for a while and then looked directly at me.
“Dad, I’m going to bank on that 5% chance of her surviving the virus. She and I are just going to fight it till the end! ”
6 months later and after endless gruelling moments of frustration, exhaustion, depressions bordering giving up almost entirely (that was only me, though), tender care and prayers, especially when Lola had come close to existing like a zombie, the little one started pulling through it all. Slowly, gradually, but sure footedly till one fine day, she managed to lift herself off the straw mat she had been lying on for all those months and walk feebly into my daughter’s lap.
Today she runs like a stallion, barks like a full-grown healthy Indie and loves like no other, wagging her tail in delight every time my daughter walks in through the door. So who was the actual Miracle?
And this is what I learned from it all:
- Faith is better than Hope. Hope makes you walk through fire. Faith makes you fly over it.
- If there is even just a 5% chance of success, bank on it. It’s not important whether a glass is half empty or full. If you’re passionately convinced you can win then you need just a twig to survive turbulent waters.
- Love is the biggest trigger that can give you courage to defy all forces against you.
- Once you’ve decided, stick to your guns till you’ve finally achieve what you set out to do. Period!
- Commitment has no alternatives. Either you’re in or out.
- And finally, the Winner always takes it all. Lola’s tail wag is now my daughter’s happy swag!!
