I copied and pasted it from an email that was sent to me. Hopefully, it'll keep you warm inside at least.

A GIFT GIVEN AND RECEIVED

by Kathy Pippig Harris



On a late November night the man stepped outside of his ranch

house to get some fresh air.

He looked up at the black velvet night salted with bright-white

stars. The air was chilly and as he pulled on his jacket he heard

Sally's soft shuffling steps.

He turned and regarded the elderly Australian Shepherd, his

companion and good friend for 13 years. They walked out over the

gravel drive and onto the narrow lane that fronted his property.

Moonlight frosted the fields and cast shadows of the man and dog

as they walked in companionable silence. On the tail of a winter

breeze, the sound of sirens, faint and urgent, wailed briefly.

Christmas was just around the corner. In years past, he would

have been planning what gifts to give whom, and deciding how many

guests, family and friends, he and his wife would have over Christmas

Eve.

But, his wife had passed a decade ago. Friends were few and

most had made other plans this year. He sighed. His joy came from

the giving of gifts -- that was his gift to himself, and he would

miss that this Christmas.

___________________



Morning came crisp and clear. He rolled over and gazed out the

window. Through the condensation on the glass he watched as a blurry

shape moved erratically in the vineyard. Curious, he got up, dressed

and headed for the door.

As he neared, a scratching sound came from the other side. He

slowly opened the door.

There, on the porch sat a small dog of mixed breed -- short

legs, long body. She stood on her hind legs, furry forelegs pulling

at the air. Her ears hung down, hound-like. She was adorable.

He bent down and reached out a hand. She dropped to all fours

and gently licked his outstretched palm. By the indentation in the

fur of her neck he knew that she had recently worn a collar.

He gestured for her to come inside. She wagged her tail, panted

a smile and turned her attention to the open field.

There in the mist was another animal. She wagged her tail as a

dog stepped out of the low-blanketing fog. Tentatively, the small

young dog approached. The visitor at his feet barked a happy "It's

safe!" greeting to her companion.

This dog, too, had previously worn a collar. Both dogs' fur

seemed covered in sooty dirt and he decided he would give them a bath

after giving them food and water.

They quickly adapted to their surroundings. Sally welcomed the

two dogs and seemed delighted to have them follow her and her human

wherever they went. That night they all clambered on the bed,

settled into the comforter and slept as one.

___________________



Two days later a group of people came to the house. The man

answered the door and couldn't help noticing that on their faces were

expressions of weariness, and of hope.

They explained that they had been scouring the area and asked if

he had seen two small dogs who were new to the area. The man nodded

and bade them wait. He returned with the two dogs.

One of the men in the group smiled, tears welling in his eyes.

"You found them!"

The man replied, "No, they found me."

The younger man, his cheeks now wet added, "Their names are

Roxanne and Libby. They are my friend's dogs." The young man tried

to say something else, but emotion overwhelmed him.

He gathered the dogs, one in each arm and nodded -- a gesture of

gratitude. The older man nodded back.

___________________



That night on the local TV news there was a story about the

community losing a popular and respected veterinarian. He was

involved in a fiery single car crash, and pronounced dead at the

scene.

It was later learned that his two dogs were with him at the time

of the accident. It was believed that his dogs had died with him,

but family friends canvassed the fields anyway. The dogs were found

with a homeowner who had taken them in. The family didn't know the

name of the man who took the dogs in, but wanted to thank him...

The son shared this with the news reporters: "This is

invaluable to our whole family because we know they were with my dad.

I don't know how they survived, but here they are. They slept with

my dad at night. They followed him around everywhere. It's like

that's a part of him that's still alive..."

___________________



Later, while Sally nestled into the comforter, the man closed

his eyes, recalling the news story. "How had they survived?" he

wondered.

Drifting off to sleep he did not see the shimmering form appear

in his room. "They survived because I was there. I lifted them from

the inferno and with a whisper, I directed them to find you."

The angel moved closer, "Your act of kindness was your gift to

that family, and His gift to you!"

Sally thumped her tail and panted a smile and, then she, too, fell

asleep.



-- Kathy Pippig Harris



___________________________________________

Kathy's story is based largely on fact and is dedicated to Dr. Robert

W. Gfeller, DVM, who died November 25, 2007, in a car accident in

Madera County,California. You can read a newspaper account about Dr.

Gfeller and his surviving dogs here:

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/229336.html

___________________________________________