PEOPLE WHO ARE VIOLENT TO ANIMALS RARELY STOP THERE!

Thursday, June 07, 2012

It's that simple.

Sometimes all it takes is a person who loves to do something nice and gets a thrill out of doing things for others, simple because she knows it will bring a smile to other's faces. A few weeks ago I received a phone call with the request of a tour at the Donkey Sanctuary. The tour organizer had been friends for years with one of our donkey parents, so she knew all the pain and agony they went through when the decision was made to give up their two little donkeys. Every time these "parents" would go on a bus trip with her, he would tell her about the donkeys and how she really should do a tour to the Sanctuary one day, but never did. So the other day she called me about a Mystery Tour she was organizing and one stop will be the Sanctuary, and since the "parents" are getting up in age and don't like driving themselves so much anymore, she convinced them to join the Mystery tour. As a good wife would, the mom was concerned that it would be too hard and too much for her husband, but the tour operator assured her that the tour will be fine for him and that they will have fun. The tour operator was just so excited that she could take them to the Sanctuary, and they had no clue they were going there. In the meantime these former "donkey parents" have been out to the Sanctuary twice in the last months, once just for a visit and the other day for the Donor Appreciation Afternoon, both times I had spoken with them and kept my little secret and had to make sure other staff weren't revealing it to them either. So yesterday was the Mystery Tour, a bus full of seniors and the "donkey parents", they had a lovely lunch at the Emporium in New Dundee, apparently a place it is very hard to get into, and then their second stop was the DSC. As they  were approaching familiar roads leading to the DSC, "donkey dad" pops up and tells the tour guide that they were really close to the Sanctuary and really should stop there one day, still not knowing where they were going.....once on the next side road he leans over to his wife and asks her "do you think we are going to the Sanctuary?" and sure enough the next turn was into our long drive way. As they got of the bus, the "donkey mom" hugged the tour organizer and thanked her for the chance to visit. "Donkey dad" was in his glory, he finally could introduce his beloved "Sable" to his friends and he sure did and Sable didn't disappoint as she walked right up to the group as they were gathered for the donkey talk. What a great time they had. We had a good laugh in the boutique about how great we were in keeping secrets, as it was revealed that we all knew the last two times they were here that they were coming again...in fact they are coming again on Sunday for Donkey Day as well. They are such sweet people and I am sure they will have great memories of that trip to share when they get home. Jack finally got his donkey t-shirt and he was happy all around.
Funny, sometimes just listening to people and actually paying attention to what they are telling you and then acting upon that to make their day is really not that hard, it just takes a caring, loving  person.
I am glad they all had such a great time and the weather held off for them too.

1 comment:

AJ-OAKS said...

Oh my gosh how wonderful! Nothing beats a genuine smile for it is contagious. I could 'see' their faces light up when they realized where they were going. Wonderful. xoxo