She is So Much More

We've been home a little more than a month, Megan and I. We've walked our neighborhood, gone to the doctor, been to the hospital, been grocery shopping, "stuff" shopping, and dress shopping for a fancy schmancy gala we will be helping with. We've been to the pumpkin patch and on walking trails and along the beautiful St. Croix River. We've been on an airplane, a hay rack ride, and trains, buses, and cars. We've packed a lot into a little bit of time so far.

When I tell people about her and our young partnership, I tell them that we don't walk together, we fly. Every time we go out, I am awestruck by our pace and by Megan's precision and near perfection. She is exceptional. We are a fast-flying pair and we're becoming stronger and more attuned to each other every day.

Thank you—every day, I think, "Thank you." When I safely cross at an intersection, or step up a curb without tripping, or find the stairs, or walk with grace, poise, and confidence with Megan by my side, I think, "Thank you."

She is so much more than a dog ...

She is so much more than a friend ...

She is so much more than a mobility tool ...

She is so much more than a gift ...

This dog—she is beautiful, impeccably trained, hard working, happy to snuggle, loving, protective, curious, and an incredible gift of the most precious sort imaginable. She gives me freedom, independence, confidence, assurance, and safety. She is so much more ... She is part of me, part of my family, and part of our community.

Thank you, Guide Dogs for the Blind, for both of these gifts: my retired guide, Picassa, and my new active guide, Megan. They are both so much more ... than I could have ever asked for.

Nicole Schultz-Kass