Give a Little

I live on a ranch. A horse ranch. So of course there are ranch dogs. They are mostly part Australian Shepherd and skilled at helping with the horses. Occasionally they come by my house and my dog, who is fenced in, does her socially awkward threatened wanting to play dance and makes a lot of noise.

I don't know the names of any of the ranch dogs. All I ever hear are the men yelling for them, "Aqui! " The men who train horses at this ranch are Hispanic.

A few months ago, one of the dogs showed up on our front porch. He was very, very thin. So we fed him. He was limping on one front leg. We surmised that a horse either stepped on him or kicked him, and now he was of little use on the ranch...so maybe they stopped feeding him? Or the other dogs took his food?

We didn't know what to call him. So we called him Aqui. He comes and goes with no discernible pattern. He only stays to eat. We used to be able to pet him, and he'd give us that smiley face and wag his tail. But now he is too scared to come close most of the time. I often wonder what happened to him. Every once in a while he will let me pet him briefly. But there so little joy in him. And so much fear.

I still feed him, every time he comes. When I try to get him to come closer, it seems to be the opposite of what makes him comfortable. So when I set out the food I don't look at him too long. I say hello in in a nice friendly voice and set the food down. Then I just leave him be. The food is always gone the next morning.

There are some people in this world, that have been so beaten down by life, that they are like Aqui. Hard to reach, distant and needful. Reach out anyway, and give them a hand. Even if it's just to give them food. It could be, that like Aqui, they no longer know where their place is, or who they can trust. Show them there is still kindness in this world. Give a little. Even if they can barely thank you for it. Just do it.