Our plans on the Sunday before Christmas were to take us to Grayslake, Illinois. We were participating in a fundraiser for the Dodgers List Organization. They educate the public about disc disease in dachshunds and help owners find the best treatment for their pets. Since I have a dachshund with the disease, Frankie is in a wheelchair to help her walk. I share her story in a children’s book and was happy to be a part of the event to donate the book sale to the organization.

The day before the event, the winds howled and temperatures dropped to minus 30 degrees. It was not expected to stop until Monday night. In the late afternoon a call came from the organizer that the event would be postponed until the Sunday after Christmas. He was disappointed because he had been waiting for this for weeks. But I was also relieved that I didn’t have to take Frankie out into the treacherous weather.

As I usually do, I thought there must be a reason other than the weather for the cancellation. I think everything happens for a reason. That belief would be confirmed in the form of email late on Christmas Day. It would turn out to be a gift that I will treasure forever. I received a letter from Dawn, Mom to Jackson, a very special three-year-old.

Dawn said, “We bought your book a few weeks ago because my son has hemiplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy. He needs to wear leg braces and he recently received a new brace that he needs to wear at night. We read to him.” your book to help you accept the frenulum. As you can imagine, you don’t like having to wear them as they are probably uncomfortable. It is difficult to explain the reason and value of wearing braces. Tonight is the first night he’s used it for Frankie’s Book it helped him accept using it tremendously. Jackson said, “I have to wear my brace like Frankie.” Dawn asked if by chance we would be in the Chicago area soon. She said, “Jackson would love to meet Frankie.” Well, here I was, everything happens because of a theory of reason working its magic. We were destined to meet this exceptional child. We agreed to meet at Central Bark where the fundraiser was taking place and we agreed at 2:00 pm. Main lobby.

After the successful event, we packed up and waited at the main entrance to Central Bark. John and I were anxiously glancing at our watches as the minutes ticked by. A few moments later, an energetic blond boy rambled through the front door. Her smile was infectious and her deep dimples drew you straight to her sweet face. He was excited to see Frankie. He wasted no time kneeling next to her and placing his small hand on her back. He and Frankie were immediately bonded. He looked at John and me with his bright blue eyes and handed us a dog donut that he brought just for Frankie. He was eager to take the leash from Frankie and had no qualms about asking for it. I handed him the leash and he was like a kid with a new puppy as he jumped with his new best friend.

He loved playing with Frankie. While swinging happily around Central Bark, his mother showed me the night corset Jackson must wear. He asked if Frankie would sign it. He had everything he had to do to keep from crying. I was deeply moved. With a little help from me, “Frankie” signed Jackson’s corset, “Keep rolling!”

I gave Dawn a framed photograph of Frankie. I said, “I thought you could put this on Jackson’s nightstand to remind him that he can do anything he sets his mind to.”

I really didn’t want to say goodbye as my heart basked in all the joy that Frankie and Jackson shared in their time together. But we had a long journey ahead of us, so we said goodbye. As we walked out the front door, Frankie snuggled into John’s arms and I gave Dawn a hug. Although our circumstances are different in many ways, they are also closely connected due to the challenges of our special needs.

Two days later another email arrived from Dawn. He could hardly wait to open it. She said: “The last two nights Jackson has easily put on the brace. He has asked me to read his book several times and also enjoys looking at Frankie’s photo and touching it. Now he refers to his brace as’ my brace Frankie “.

Teaching our children acceptance and compassion can sometimes be a difficult task. But sometimes all we have to do is just show it to them. Knowing that Frankie did this for Jackson makes me thankful that God entrusted me to share her and her compelling message with others.