When Love Shows Up

This is Bailey.

We didn’t know how long she’d be with us when we picked her up. Honestly, we thought we were stepping into a hospice situation—a last act of kindness for a dog who had been through too much, for too long.

Bailey once knew love. She had been cared for. But then her primary caregiver passed away, and she was left in a house with two physically disabled people who, despite their best intentions, couldn’t take care of her. When Bailey started going to the bathroom indoors, they didn’t have the capacity to get her out in time. And so—because they didn’t know what else to do—they stopped feeding her regularly. They limited her water. They hoped that would help.

It didn’t.

By the time she arrived in our arms, Bailey was in bad shape. Her fur was thin in patches, and her skin was hot to the touch—ravaged by infection and malnutrition. She looked frail. And underneath all that… she just seemed so tired.

Not sleepy tired.

Soul tired.

The kind of tired that sinks into your bones when you haven’t been seen in a long time. When the world has gone quiet around you, and you're not sure anyone remembers you're still here.

She didn’t sleep much at first. She was restless and anxious, pacing and panting. Her body didn’t know safety. Her mind didn’t trust rest. That first night, we bathed her gently. Fed her soft food. Sat with her. Rubbed her ears. We gave her a CBD treat to help ease the anxiety swirling through her.

And slowly… her body softened. Her breathing slowed. Her head dropped.

And she slept.

I’ll never forget the feeling in the room that night. There was something sacred in it.

We didn’t save Bailey that night. But something started to shift.

That’s what love does.
It doesn’t have to fix everything right away.
It just has to stay.
Stay long enough. Soft enough. Steady enough for someone to believe in healing again.

There’s more to Bailey’s story. I’ll share it soon.

But for now, I’m thinking about that first night—about what happens when love shows up without conditions, without needing to be impressive… just willing to be present.

Who in your life might need that kind of love right now?

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