Together

Can you see the cataracts in Baillie's eyes? She also is mostly deaf. I guess this comes with old age, as she is almost 14 years old.

Baillie is in the crate we originally bought for Maisie, not realizing how big she would grow. This crate fit into the space in the laundry room near the larger crate that we long ago bought for son BJ's lab Licorice, who has since died. This crate has a door on two sides--the one where Baillie's head hangs out and the other on the end on the left.

Now Baillie likes to sleep in this crate. But in the mornings when she wakes up, CB says that she cannot find the way out. She seems to be confused and sleepy. CB has to guide her out and also in the direction of the backdoor so she will go outside.

Baillie circling around the crate, unable to find her way out, reminds me of a story that Martin Laird relates in his book Into the Silent Land. This is the story I posted here--about the dog who ran around in circles on his long walks, only because he had been kept in a cage when he was young and did not realize his present reality--freedom.

CB helping Baillie find the way out of the crate is an example of how friends (or community) offer an alternative view or path to go--in companionship. Of course, this is the ideal of community, which was beautifully discussed by RevGalBlogPals envisioning the future church today (if you click on the links in the comments section).

We help each other. . . . together.