A PILLOW WITH A HEARTBEAT

Comfort -  safety - a sense that someone loves us unconditionally - protects us - someone we can be our true selves with - someone we trust completely to not ever hurt us.

Yesterday I attended a fundraiser for my Penny's From Heaven Foundation.  Freebirds World Burritos was having a grandopening in San Antonio and, in keeping with their tradition of helping the community, they had chosen Penny's From Heaven and the Fisher House for charitable contributions for this special occasion.

"BUCKS FOR BOOKS" - A 'buck' would buy a POCKETS OF PEACE book for a deployed or wounded soldier.  Two hundred peole got a free burrito and could donate a 'buck' or two to our foundation.

Freebirds had developed a poster that hung proudly on their wall, next to that of the Fisher House.  I  had a lump in my throat, as I saw my precious golden retriever Penny, shining down from the poster and from heaven, as a line of two hundred hungry people waited for 12:00 to get their burritos.  Kelsie and Chase our PFHF Soldier's Angels Support Dogs were present, displaying their usual calm attitude in the midst of chaos.  The donation boxes were filled and emptied and filled once again.  We collected over $400.00 for our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Soon it was our turn to sample these famous Freebirds World Burritos on the patio, the dogs quickly falling asleep at our feet.  I became distracted from unwrapping the largest burrito I had ever seen, to observe as a waiter stood nearby quietly watching the dogs, as if in a time lapse.  I glanced down and saw why he was transfixed.  Kelsie had laid her head on Chase's back and both were sound asleep, breathing rythmically in unison.  The waiter simply smiled at what was a moment of grace, going unnoticed by most.  He looked up,  smiled at me, and then summed it up as he whispered, almost as if to not wake them, "A pillow with a heartbeat."

This moment and position went unhearlded except for a few children who had gathered around.  One little girl said, "Oh look mommy they are snuggling!" Mom simply pulled them away and said, "We have to  hurry, come on." 

The essence of the moment was unimportant and lost to her. But to a handful, the moment was comprised of contentment and perhaps even a little mystery, as to what another species can teach us.

Perhaps the lesson learned was that a "pillow with a heartbeat" just might be what we are all searching for - a shelter from the world.

Each of us are givers and receivers,  each one in need and each with something to give.

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"What astounds and delights people, tells us everything we need to know about human nature."

Author Unknown

"It is loneliness that makes the loudest noice."

~Erik Hoffer~

"What makes us human is not our mind but our heart, not our ability to think, but our ability to love."

~Henri Novwen~

You too are invited to contribute a 'Buck for a Book' for a wounded or deployed or deploying soldier.

Please go to http://www.pennysfromheavenfoundation.org/

We accept paypal, check, money orders, and credit cards.

Make a difference today...tell a soldier you care that he is risking his life, protecting you and your country.