Last week, I took an unexpected trip to Nashville. I say unexpected because three weeks ago, it wasn’t on the calendar. It wasn’t something I was planning, and then I got the call that Sydney and Jake’s five-year-old dog needed major surgery. They had discovered a large mass in his hind leg that had grown to the size of a grapefruit. I know some people might think it’s just a dog, but he’s their baby.  Also, at that moment in time, they weren’t sure that Louie was going to keep his back leg due to the extensive nature of the surgery. I didn’t have anything pressing so I offered to come and help them with his recovery so they didn’t have to take additional time off.  They were already taking lots of time for Louie’s appointments biopsies and scans.  I waited to purchase the ticket until they had a more definitive time frame, but once that was established I secured my trip.

Days before his surgery, Louie developed a rash from the mass rubbing on his belly.  On Tuesday, while he awaited his cat scan, they examined him and prescribed some antibiotics. They felt like he would be better in time for the surgery, but notified them they would not proceed if there was any risk of infection.  I debated for a minute about what I should do.  I mean, I didn’t want to come and be no help to them, but then again, I hadn’t been there to visit since November.  I decided to go regardless of what happened.

I boarded the plane that Thursday morning unsure of what to expect once I arrived.

It turns out that Louie was unable to have his surgery the day I arrived and it was postponed until the following Tuesday!  I was going to be zero help in terms of his recovery.  I tried.

Instead, I played ball with the dogs, walked them many times, and provided a lot of snuggle time. It’s a tough job, but I was up for the challenge.

We discussed some plans for the weekend, but the weather gave us a curve ball. Heavy rain and tornadoes were predicted all weekend.  Once again, we pivoted and prepped for a weekend at home.  Sydney and I ran to the store for groceries and snacks and met Jake for dinner.

When your kids ALL live elsewhere, it’s the little things you miss the most.  We are always wishing for a Netflix binge together, or some time to just hang out. Well, we got it in spades.  All three of us watched TV, ate our snacks, and caught up on life.  It was perfect and while it wasn’t what we planned, it was all the things we love and miss when we aren’t together.

Late afteroon, on Sunday, Jake’s aunt and uncle called to meet up as they were driving through Nashville.  We met Jake’s Aunt Peggy and Uncle Tim during their wedding weekend five years ago and fell in love with them.  We spent hours with Aunt Peggy as we got our nails done that weekend and partied on the dance floor. Even my sisters have a mutual love affair with her.  In fact, Peggy asked about them as soon as she saw me. Catching up with them was such a fun, surprise.

Speaking of my sisters, though.  I also got to see G, who was also an unexpected visitor.    She drove from Chatanooga on Monday to hang out.  We spent a lot of time walking the dogs, catching up while we sat on the patio and I think it’s safe to say that after hours of talking, we have the world worked out.  

On Tuesday, Louie finally had his surgery, and, thankfully, it wasn’t cancer and he kept his leg!  He spent the night under the care of the vet and we picked him up on Wednesday morning. He has quite the recovery ahead of him, but he will be good as new in no time.  Sadly, I left a few hours after he was home.

My trip didn’t turn out anything like I expected, but in the end, I think it was exactly as it was meant to be; a happy accident full of surprises.