I am a physician, age 55, living in el paso, texas. my grandfather migrated from mexico(yes! mexico!)in 1917. he found steady work in the area of scottsbluff nebraska. when i was 12, my father took us to visit my grandfather, as we did every year, still farming in nebraska. he had 2 dogs, beesley and spooky, mixed breeds. one hot humid western nebraska day, i sat on the old waterpump in front of grandfather’s home, looking out at the road that lead to the small farm town of bayard, nebraska. i could see a speck on the horizon walking towards grandfather’s home. i watched spooky and beesley get excited, wagging their tails and looking at each other briefly while rarely taking their eyes off the figure that i still could not discern coming down the road. then, without warning, the two dogs bolted together! they were in full sprint towards the now slightly limping figure ambulating slowly towards me. the dogs ran to the figure in the road; they were jumping up and down, competing for a pat on the head from the man coming down the road. once in a while the two dogs would venture the the side of the road distracted by some scent, only to bounce happily back to the man which was quite apparent to me now to be my grandfather. as he approached me, still sitting on the waterpump in the cool shade of grandfather’s chinese elm trees, his eyes squinted with a faint knowing smile only the ages could bring, and asked me in spanish, “did you see my dogs?” i said, “yes, grandpa.” he asked again, “did you see how they ran all the way out there to see me? that they couldn’t wait for me to get all the way to the house? that they love me so much, they had to run all the way in this hot sun to greet and tell me they missed me?”
feeling a bit cornered by now, i was apprehensive for what he was going to say next. I said, “yes, grandpa, i saw that.” his next words have been with me all my life, even after his passing and i believe they led me to seek a life of service to my fellow man…he said, “no human would ever do that.” and he walked away.

Robert from TX