The people in your neighborhood

I've learned a number of things since we became dog owners last year. First, no matter how ardently the kids promise that they'll take care of the furball's every need, they inevitably leave the heavy lifting to me and my wife. Second, when you walk a dog as often as I do, you learn a lot about the folks who live nearby.

As an example, there's a lovely woman who lives just around the corner. Her sweet little Bichon, Jewel, often sits on the porch when Frasier and I saunter by. Over the months, I've learned that she visits her Alzheimer's-stricken husband in a nursing home every day, that her son is a dog owner, too, and that she doesn't know what she'd do if she didn't have a dog.

She'll often come to the door when she sees us outside, and when she does we'll chat about neighborly stuff like the weather or the local headlines. In many ways, she reminds me of what life must have been like before kids stopped playing outside and before we entered our houses using remote control garage door openers.

This week, I took a break from writing around mid-afternoon and headed outside with the dog. Jewel was outside, and her mom just inside the screen door. Before I could greet her, she came outside, in slippers and no coat, and addressed me.

"I just heard from my son, and my heart is breaking. They just put their dog down this afternoon, and I didn't know what to say. He cried on the phone, and my son never cries."

Suddenly, I was the one who had no words. I told her I knew what that was like, that I had been there before. I tried to be as comforting as I could from my snow-covered spot on the sidewalk, hoping that a little bit of empathy from a neighbor would bring her a little bit of comfort.

We chatted for a few minutes as I tried to give her something to smile about. I focused on her dog, and talked about how in times of difficulty, our own pets become our security blankets. I knew how much hardship she was under, how difficult her life has been juggling a declining spouse while still being there for her adult kids.

I doubt I found the right words., but when she turned to go back inside, she smiled and said she looked forward to being outside again with Jewel tomorrow.

Maybe that was enough. As long as she keeps looking forward to tomorrow...