IT'S A SMALL WORLD, AFTER ALL . . . 18 MARCH 2008

Lisa Simon writes: A touching, small-world story . . . We started looking for a new home in the KC area last July. When our realtor drove me through the neighborhood of one of the homes she wanted to show me, I noticed a small Airedale or a large Welsh in a front yard. (Many people thought my Beauly was a Welsh as she did not weigh 40 pounds soaking wet.) Anyway, I thought seeing that terrier was a good omen and at the end of our search, we ended up buying the home in the neighborhood with the terrier. After we moved in, many families came over to introduce themselves and bring goodies. I went to several functions put together by the neighborhood women and always looked forward to meeting the other terrier family. Kim, as I found out her name was, was never there. Finally, someone told me Kimšs husband had been battling cancer and at the very young age of 49, he had lost his fight a few weeks after we moved in. This past week, I hosted the monthly, neighborhood Bunco game. For those of you not familiar, as I was not, itšs a silly dice game that takes absolutely no skill but is a reason for the women to meet, drink wine, eat, and support each other. I was delighted when a woman I didnšt recognize walked through the door and introduced herself as Kim. I liked her immediately and we struck up a great conversation, including her asking me if I was insane to have two terriers. I found out her terrier was a Welsh. Of course during the evening's conversation it came out that both Gracie & Beau Beau were rescues and that I used to be the coordinator in Colorado. Kim said during her husband's illness she had many long nights where she often would read about terriers on the Internet. During this time she had come across two stories about Airedales who had endured hardship and both stories gave her hope. She told me one was about an Airedale in Australia named Enzo and the other was about an Airedale who couldnšt walk who was found in the mountains of . . . Colorado. Of course, I yelled, "Goldie?!" and she confirmed that was the one. Imagine her surprise when I told her I was the person in the beginning of Goldie's story and Gracie was in many of the pictures. She said the story really touched her during difficult times. She also said she couldnšt wait to get home to reread Goldiešs story and to take another look at the pictures. I thought this was a nice story that shows the different ways Goldie & Enzo, and all the people who helped them, touched other people. SUE FORRESTER: Extraordinary, and quite wonderful. JACKIE McGUINNESS: I started to read this story thinking, "ŗOh no, it's going to be a sad one; you know, dog in yard - no one home." But it had a happy ending. That will teach me to be so cynical! It is a small world when it comes to a'dale love reaching out to touch the hearts of everyone. LISA ASHTON & SABINE, MAX & GRIFFIN: Excellent!! It sure brightened up my week. LIBBY KARIER: Incredible. What a fabulous story. MARY BRABENDER: This is a beautiful story which brought tears to my eyes. Didn't you feel like you were right there when Kim & Lisa were talking? Give one goose bumps, that is for sure. Thank you, Andréa, for all you do to make all our worlds bigger places by sharing stories like this. JEANNE PLAUTH: Well, I am sitting here crying at this touching story. Please tell Lisa a warm thank you for sharing. ELLEN McGEAGH: Very nice! Thanks for sharing. BOB ANDERSON: What a touching story! And you had such a big part in both those sagas! Fantastic! MARE MOORE & QUINCEY: Thank you for sharing this with us, Andréa! I'm sure it brought a tear to many an eye here (sure did mine). It's so very true that both Enzo & Goldie touched many more lives around the whole wide world, more than anyone could ever have imagined! I think we are ALL blessed for having been even a tiny part of their stories from reading to donating to taking actual physical part in what happened with them both . . . they touched us all in so many different ways and we are the better for it, I think. JEANNE COMBO: Yes . . . so very important to share that story. Thank you for doing so. Both Enzo & Goldie won the hearts of so so many people around the world and think all of us who were involved with either one or both Airedales know how special the connection between all of us is. We are family. GO TO THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY OF GOLDIE OF THE GOLDEN MOUNTAINS HERE GO TO LIST OF DONORS HERE

The Airedale can do anything any other dog can do and then whip the other dog. -- Teddy Roosevelt

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