Ever have one of those days?

First your alarm didn't go off and the day just progresses from there. We've all had one of those days. Well, I didn't awake yesterday to my alarm. It wasn't because it didn't go off - it was because I didn't set it. It was my day off and I awoke completely rested to a sun filled room. It was 9:30am and for once, the weatherman was right. In Baltimore, temperatures reached 85 degrees. The day was filled with sun complimented by a light breeze. Perfect. On a day like yesterday, Trek and I would spend the day hiking, swimming, or playing at the park. I'll never be able to share a day like that with Trek ever again. I don't say that because I feel sorry for myself, it is what it is - a dull sadness and a sharp dose of reality. But God sent someone that has helped me get over hurt and void in my life before. One evening while spending time with this friend, I was talking about Trek and how much I missed him. He said I could take Simon (his dog) to my house whenever I wanted. I paused for a moment. Many thoughts ran through my head: Sure Simon is a dog, but he isn't MY dog. Does he really think borrowing his for a day is going to help a void left by a four year companion? What if I do borrow his dog, will it bring back old hurt? On the other hand, perhaps I could benefit from spending time with another dog.... I thanked him for the offer and told him I'd think about it. Well, weeks later, I took him up on it. Yesterday was that day. I picked up Simon late morning, put together a day pack, and we were on our way. I decided to forgo a serious hike on our first day together and went with an all-day city excursion instead. We walked about two miles to a park near my house. After walking the perimeter, we cut through to sit by the pond and soak up the sun. After getting our fill of the park, we headed back home for lunch. I made a few phone calls while Simon rested. After about an hour, we headed back out, this time to a park right across the street from my house. I played frisbee with my roommates while Simon played with the fifteen other dogs at the park. On our walk home, I called my friend and left a message that I could bring Simon back whenever he'd be home. A few minutes later, my friend called to say in addition to Simon, bring a six pack of beer for he was making dinner for two. Now, that's a great day! It seems to nearly everyone else in my life, getting a new dog was the solution to getting over Trek. Fact is, I needed to grieve like any other loss. I did that. Unfortunately, my current lifestyle isn't conducive to raising a puppy or adopting a new rescue. But my lifestyle is perfect for borrowing a friend's dog on my days off to do all the things I used to do when I had a dog of my own. I thought of Trek fondly all day yesterday. I thought of how he would have reacted in certain situations and it made me happy. I thanked my friend for coming up with the idea and trusting me enough to take his dog all day. Even so, I don't think my friend will ever realize how much having Simon around meant to me. It meant the world.