How My Dog, Maggie, Saved Me Through My Husband's Life Threatening Transplant

It's getting close to 9:00 p.m. and Maggie, my retriever and setter mix, is sitting next to the sofa with her head on the arm and her giant brown eyes looking up at me. It's time to go to bed her look says. So as I close my laptop and grab a drink, she excitedly heads to the stairs, tail wagging and waits for me to join her.

This is our nightly routine. Once we are upstairs where I will write or watch TV for a while, she will lay next to me on my husband's pillow because that is the softest spot and I secretly think she knows that is his spot. I will lovingly pet her for an hour or so but once he comes in the room and looks at her she knowingly jumps down to find her spot for the night on the floor.

Maggie is eleven years old and she is my best friend and personal therapist. She came to us at eight weeks old, with her brother Michael, just after my husband had been placed on the nationwide liver transplant list. We lost Michael in an accident when he was just two, we were heartbroken but Maggie pulled us through.

In the six years that we waited for my husband's transplant, and in the six years since the transplant, Maggie has been what I call my 'constant'. Through emergencies, procedures, ER runs and surgeries I always knew that Maggie would be at home waiting for me. Her tail would still wag furiously at the sound of the car and she would greet me at the door with the same unconditional love, licks as kisses, and an insatiable insistence to be petted.

She is loved no matter where she goes and she brings a smile to everyone's face. Everyone is her friend no matter if you are 6 months or 90 years old she sits patiently and lets everyone pet her. She loves other dogs, even though she pretend 'stalks' them when out walking, but the minute they meet there is happy sniffing going on.

Maggie has been my grounding presence in what has been a turbulent world for me. No matter how bad the situation, Maggie was always there to make it better. She made me smile when I didn't want to smile, walk when I wanted to be stationary and live life when I wanted to hide. Every day she reminds me that life is precious and needs to be celebrated just because we are here and that is enough.