Meet Big Fluffy by @JoanReeves

I seem to have missed most of September. Like many people in the Hurricane Harvey zone, I feel as if time telescoped from August 25 to mid-September.

For nearly a week, I could not tear myself away from the television footage of flooded homes and high-water rescues.

I have a couple of friends who had to be taken out in boats. Looking at their homes, you'd never suspect there was water up to the second floor.

After that it was taking care of my own hurricane damage which was "normal" not a house full of water, thank goodness.

Hmm. What Else Is September Noted For?

What is September noted for other than hurricanes in the last few years and back to school woes for kids? Well, Susan Sheehey already told you this--which spoiled the 16 Facts About September I had written for my post today. Oh, well. Great minds think alike, right, Susie?

So I'm afflicted with the writer's eternal conundrum, i.e., what can I write today? I decided to write a more personal post than usual and introduce you to the newest member of our extended family.

Readers, Meet Big Fluffy

Big Fluffy & Adina

Actually, that's his pseudonym, or, as my daughter Adina tells me, that would be his rapper name. I like Big Fluffy better than his real name so that's what I call him.

Some of you may know about my daughter Adina. She had 2 back surgeries in 2016 to fix a badly herniated disc. The back pain grew worse after each.

The Pain Management doctor said she need injections in her spine to make the pain go away. Each one of them made the pain worse.

Long story short? This year, we learned she had developed Adhesive Arachnoiditis as a result of the surgeries and pain abatement procedures.

This chronic pain condition has changed her life completely. It's also changed my life and her dad's, and, of course, her husband's too. There's very little that has proved helpful--a diet free of processed foods and yoga and dry needling with physical therapy--and much (just about all the prescription drugs prescribed for her) that has harmed.

Baths make Big Fluffy Unhappy

Constant Pain Makes Life Miserable

I had encouraged her and her husband to get a dog. There are many studies that show having a dog helps people deal with serious pain i.e. cancer and common ailments like high blood pressure and depression. She finally convinced her hubby to get a dog.

In August, Big Fluffy came to live with them. Big Fluffy is a very large--88 pounds--Golden Retriever they adopted. He is a doggy senior citizen who will live out his life in their loving home. He has a few health problems, but that doesn't matter to his new owner.

Having Big Fluffy has helped my daughter tremendously. She has someone to keep her company at all times. She can cry to him, complain, and he just listens and doesn't judge. Most of all, he doesn't do what people do and offer her platitudes, meaningless advice, and comments like, "You don't look like there's anything wrong with you."

Big Fluffy Like Bacon. Please, please, please?

What Big Fluffy Does

He makes Adina laugh. This big goofy dog does big goofy things that are hysterically funny. He follows her everywhere, and makes her laugh (laughter releases endorphins, you know).

She's laughed more in this last month than she has in several months.

Adina showers Big Fluffy with love, and he gives it right back to her. He's funny and sweet and loving, and he's just what she needed at this point in her young life.

Big Fluffy must have been a carboholic in a past life because if bread is baking in the bread machine, you can't pry him away from the kitchen. The same is true of bacon.

When the bacon goes into the frying pan, he suddenly appears in the kitchen, right next to the stove. He does not budge as long as the bacon is frying. His nose twitches a mile a minute while he's absorbing all those aroma molecules.

Big Fluffy Loves St. Augustine Grass

When Big Fluffy smells certain human foods--bacon, bread, fish, meat-- he treats any person in the house to the saddest, most pleading look any dog ever directed at a human.

We know human food isn't good for him so we don't give in to his begging which makes all of us feel like the meanest, most heartless people on the planet.

The thing Big Fluffy really likes is rolling in the sun-warmed grass.

When he does this, and you see the grin on his face, you remember being a small child and rolling around the soft, sweet-smelling grass on a warm summer day.

Thanks, Big Fluffy, for all you do!

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Joan Reeves is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Sassy, Sexy Contemporary Romance. Her books are available in audio, ebook, and print. All of her books have the same underlying theme: It's never too late to live happily ever after.

Joan lives her happily ever after with her hero, her husband, in the Lone Star State. Visit Joan online: Blog * Website * Facebook * Twitter * YouTube * Amazon Author Page.