THE BONDING BAG.

I dedicate this post to my new friends and EASTCAN.ORG. In our difficult time with Polar, they have carried us with compassion and class. These angels have literally turned Polar's heartworm hell into a healthy heaven on earth. 

CARRIED BY LOVE

The baby kangaroo clings to his mother's warm protective pouch. With each day that passes, the closeness starts to grow between the young hopper and his loving mother. She will faithfully take him everywhere she goes as he lies resting, nestled in peace next to her beating heart. They are linked by an enduring bond that last through all the stormy and impetuous sand of times. The two will become one, held together, forever. 

My son and little Butter Butt

This is a true story about butter butt, a bag and a bond. In the past few weeks Polar, our Great Pyrenees, was diagnosed with stage 2 heartworms. We have been praying to God that BUTTER BUTT, as my wife likes to call him, make a full and complete recovery. Polar's life has always been quite simple. All that he has ever wanted to do was just be with me. I bought Polar from a cock fighting, tobacco chewing mountain man in the hills of Pegram, TN. 

At eight weeks old I began to carry around this big puppy in a green, worn out army bag. I was told by the mountain man that this would bring us closer. I didn't trust someone who had rooster blood on his hands but I decided to try it anyway. When I went to the grocery store,I carried puppy Polar along with me. Anywhere that I could get away with it, I would carry Polar in this bag. I even thought about taking him to church one time, but thank God I never tried that.

In the middle of our male bonding, I soon realized that everytime I started to leave the house he began to voice his puppy displeasure over my leaving. It was my fault. I had made a mistake and created a little monster who suffered from separation anxiety. It was apparent to me one day after I came home from work. Let's just say that Polar was in the mood to surprise me with a little redecorating party. I opened the door of my apartment to see scattered pieces of furniture and chewed up shoes everywhere. After I surveyed all of the damage, I turned to look at the little shaggy white mop with eyes. He was sitting ever so still in the dark corner of the room. Polar new I was angry with him and he quickly streaked by me like a howling snowball headed towards a scary ski slope. I followed him into the bedroom and picked the screaming puppy up by the scruff of the neck. We stared into each others eyes and I knew right then that I was headed for a heartbreak. 

As you can imagine, Polar got much bigger and outgrew his bag. The bond that we share nine years later continues to grow and having this dog has taught me what true friendship is all about. Since I have been married, my wife has become very familiar with just what it means to become bonded with a dog that loves you the way Polar does. Lately, I have started thinking about some of the things that I look for when seeking a person to bond with.

I have to admit that I choose very carefully when deciding whom I allow to get close to me. My mentor, Dr. Vernon Brewer once said, "You have to earn the right to be heard."I live by this teaching. I believe that words become a muddled mess if your life's work doesn't speak loud and clear to me first. This seems to be true with everything in life. When someone waves the flag of friendship to you, they need to understand that building this bond in your honor will take many hard days of work before the words start to bare fruit. But soon, the words "you are my friend" become sweet music to your ears. 

Bonding...the Swan song of love.

Being a true friend means gaining access to ones deepest and most intimate thoughts. It took me a while to understand this and I'm still learning. Over the years I have been privileged to have stayed in touch with some of my truest friends from college. I am indeed a rich man. Friendship is like a rare jewel that deserve the utmost care to retain its highest value. A connection with our most prized possessions is better than locking them away in some safe deposit box. We use a busy life as an excuse for not staying in touch with the people that God has given us to care for. I will never be content with just living for a living.

I am compelled to enrich the lives of those who's bonding bag lies empty and bankrupt.

In college, it seemed that I only cared about popularity or how many times I got to eat in the cafeteria. I was trying to find as many friends as I could but never really understanding what being a friend was all about. For a while, I was shuffling on lonely street like the old bag lady who was looking through the garbage heap. I would open my bonding bag to whatever and whoever wanted to jump in. One day I just emptied my bonding bag of the friends who only spoke a good game but would never join me in running the race to win my heart. After a few wandering years, I decided to take a hard look at what kind of person I wanted to become. 

Every person has a desire to be close to someone. Sadly, some will carry their bonding bag around for a lifetime without it ever being filled.This lonely existence can wrap you up in a plague of pain and ill will that pushes you farther away from the true fellowship you need with others. Love is close. Be a friend and don't forget the bonding bag.