By Patricia A. Wolf

James took the emotional punch to his gut like a champ. The first dog Grace had ever called her own died and she mourned the loss of her fur baby. There was no time limit on grief, but Grace’s heartache seemed never-ending. The crush to her spirit took the air out of his lungs. Hearing and watching the sadness consume his wife was a pain James never wanted to endure. He had to do something to help his wife manage her suffering. The unmeasurable sadness nearly stopped her from living. She appeared to go through her days like a programmed robot. Christmas was around the corner and celebrating was hard for Grace. Everything reminded her of Bailey, her fourteen-year-old, giant, brindle mastiff. Before the loss, Grace cherished all things Christmas, like the long walks through the twinkling white lights covered park, the tasty treats made at the local bakery, and decorating their home like a giant gingerbread house, bursting with the colors of the season. This year was different. The spark of light that filled Grace was now dim. She missed Bailey. In his heart, James believed that reminding Grace of the magic found at Christmas would help restore her happiness and help her move on from the loss of her beloved dog. Perhaps time and Christmas magic would help do the trick.

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