The Transformation of Charlie

Everybody deserves a second chance,
maybe even more. My friend Charlie never
imagined he would ever snuggle on a soft
mat in front of a warm fireplace. Just wasn’t
in the cards, at least not in the ones dealt to him.
His early months were not easy…foster homes and
disappointments. Really tough to feel unwanted.
But one day, maybe when things were really looking
bleak, along came two people who saw something
in Charlie that no one else had noticed. Possibility.
Rough around the edges, yes. But possibility.

The key was to allow Charlie to be who he is,
a playful child, an explosion of energy, but
to help him, over time, become who he
can be, a trusted and appreciated friend.
Not a particularly easy project now, but well
worth the effort. Possibility has a way of
becoming reality. It’s called being given
a chance to grow up, to grow up into
the fine adult he will become one day,
a transformation built on consistent caring,
time invested, applause and instruction,
not giving up and not giving in,
respect and realistic expectation.

We know, don’t we, that not all the
Charlies in our communities
have four legs? Don’t we?