Accepted on the waiting list by Thida

Today I was accepted onto the waiting list for a service dog at CCI (Canine Companions for Independence).

Next step (after waiting for up to 2 years) is Team Training for two weeks at their site. It should be good for me since I need to learn how to handle a dog without hurting my wrists. And we all need to learn how to take care of a dog.

My husband and I were nervous about getting accepted. Well especially me. We had only some idea of what their criteria was. I wanted a service dog so badly and I didn't have a good Plan B since the other organizations I looked at didn't seem as a good match for me and my family. It's hard to describe how I feel honored and relieved - not a dream come true since the dream hasn't arrived yet and the dream has no start date but knowing I can gaze into the window and someday have the precious gift inside.

My son really benefited from the CCI interview experience too. He figured out that in fact size is not the criteria to determine whether an animal will knock him down. Last week he walked up to a horse that was over 16 hands high (a large horse) and asked to pet him. The horse is very gentle. And I had just ridden him for my therapeutic riding.

My daughter has been telling everyone we're getting a service dog even before we heard we got accepted. I guess she knew something we didn't. Then she told me her friend from preschool is getting a "service cat." According to the Internet (source of all truth) they do exist but I have no way of determining if this story is true or not.