Positive Thinking Through Hamlet

To start, THANK YOU for the kind thoughts on my post yesterday!  They really did help!  However, for some reason I have to admit to still feeling a bit of discouragement and to being a little self conscious over this latest bout of poison ivy.  I did switch my day off to today and have to work tomorrow, so hopefully it will be better. 

I do consider myself a positive thinking person, and have tried to not complain.  I decided this morning to help me through this, I needed a positive example of 'someone' who doesn't complain--I didn't have to look far, I found it in Hamlet. 

Those of you who have been following my blog for sometime know Hamlet's story.  Those of you who don't, I will give you a shortened version of how he came to live with us.  He was found nearly a year ago in the garage of a house that had been foreclosed on.  Estimated to be about 13 years old, Hamlet was so ill the first time I saw him, he couldn't even stand up.  Not even my determination to not bring another dog into our home could keep me from wanting to help him.  Hamlet came to us as a foster dog, and became a permanent member of our household shortly after that.  He had surgery this past spring to remove a large tumor on his shoulder.  Sadly it has returned and surgery is not an option because of the amount of tissue that was removed the first time.  Chinese herbs were ineffective, and the tumor continues to grow. I don't like to take pictures of Hamlet that show the tumor, but in this first picture, you can see it on the right.  Most of the time Hamlet sports a tee-shirt to keep the tumor clean and from getting scratched and becoming sore.  He now walks with a slight limp and I can tell it bothers him when he walks. 

Through all of this, Hamlet remains in good spirits and never seems bothered by any of this.  When he first came to us, he didn't seem to have much zest or enthusiasm about life.  That's all changed.  He 'prances' around when we come home, nudges us for attention, a bite of whatever we're eating, and to hurry up so he can go for a walk.  He is my constant companion.  We've never heard him bark, but this quiet, gentle soul has a tail that is always quietly wagging, speaking volumes.  I really think that I should follow his example which is to "bark less and wag more."