Anonymous and K9 Charlie

With nearly 20 years in the fire service I have responded to countless calls for help. These calls in a nutshell can range anywhere from being very simple to being very complex. They can end up being happy and helpful calls to sad calls. Some of them you simply just can’t for the life of you even remember going on and some calls you can’t forget going on. It is with some of these calls that I have learned that in all my years of “helping people” I was needing some help myself.
Over the years on the job more and more piled up and I was unable to feel like myself and enjoy the things that once brought me joy. I was battling thoughts in my head that completely scared me. I was trying to navigate it all on my own. I was tough on the outside, but often crying and screaming on the inside. It was one day in some training that a sort of light bulb dimly went on in my head. I was starting to understand that the way I was feeling, the changes I felt, and the thoughts that I had were explainable. They weren’t normal and I didn’t have to continue living that way...there was a reason for it all.
Fast forward to some time off work and the start to some mental clarity, I crossed paths with a coworker who suggested I contact Dana to inquire about the Soldier’s 6 program. I held onto the info for over a week before I finally reached out. I was going back and forth in my head about what I should do, how would it work, am I capable, etc. I was internally talking myself out of it, but my mind was still thinking about it. I would find myself driving around in tears whenever I thought about what it would be like to have a dog by my side everyday. It was this feeling that caused me to at least follow up and contact Dana. I soon learned from her that a local breeder was preparing to donate a lab puppy to a recipient at the end of the year. I instantly felt that the timing was right, the exact type of dog I could see myself with was a possibility if it all worked out. With some ups and downs and some unknowns everything worked out by just waiting. Trusting my gut and waiting for the call that I could go pick up Charlie on my birthday!
Charlie has turned out to be the best gift ever! From her silly puppy zoomies to her surprising ability to follow commands as she learns them. I’m so very happy that she and I can go forward together in the years to come! I am thankful to be part of the Soldier’s 6 program and can honestly say that Dana, Ed and Mike have all been extremely helpful and kind humans. People helping people are definitely my people...
Dealing with the stress of the job alone isn’t easy...
Asking/accepting help isn’t easy...
Going to therapy isn’t easy...
What does feel easy is having Charlie by my side making the days brighter and the mind lighter...easing this journey in life.