A Veterinarian In The Making...Maybe

That critter up there is Phoenix the Frog. He's been part of our family for over a decade. I never know where he's going to pop up, but he's never far. Gracie LOVES this goofy frog. She bought him at a yard sale when she was a toddler and he offered her a lot of comfort In the early days after her diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes. He was the perfect size to fit in her little hand, his bead filled body offering stress relief as she would squeeze him each time she was faced with something difficult and at times painful. As you can plainly see, he is well loved :)

Time has taken its toll on Phoenix...his color is rubbing off and somewhere along the line he's gotten a couple cuts in his back (I'm thinking a curious kitten claw, the most likely cause), but Gracie still loves him dearly. I found him on my desk the last couple days, along with an odd assortment of "stuff" that many would assume to be trash. Knowing my daughter's heart the way I do, however, I didn't disturb any of it and just observed what was going on with this goofy frog while he was in her homemade ER. I watched as she gingerly tended to the cuts on his back. She has made casts out of wet napkins that dry in a perfect mold of her little friends shape. She's made different types of bandages. She's even constructed some sort of (for lack of a better description) sling with rubber bands, a clip, and a foam circle from my Nike insole (the piece that fills the spot I put my Nike Tracker in my shoe). If you look closely, you see that she even has a toy syringe that I assume she is using to clean his wounds as well as administer antibiotics to her little friend. 

I love to see her heart for all of God's critters. She is so gentle and loving towards them all and works to better the lives of any that are in unfortunate circumstances. She was a born rescuer. Yes, that means she (and all her sister...and yes, her parents too) tends to bring home every critter that crosses her path, be it for a moment or a lifetime. God wired her this way; He gave her a nurturing heart. Watching her care for her toy frog makes me smile and truly makes my own heart happy. I mean, if she puts so much love and care into a toy frog, you can only imagine the care and love she puts into real live, living breathing critters as well.