Once Upon a Time

Broken Angel

Dogs are known as man's best friend. Not just any animal will lay in front of a plate of shattered kibble next to a broken angel hiding behind a curtain frame that she is afraid to open. He will accept what others have rejected, love what has become unlovable, and find worth in the unworthy.

Broken angels give more than they get, sacrifice more than they have, and take care of others even when they cannot take care of themselves. That is what the dog is for: to do for the angel what she cannot do for herself.

Once, the angel heard a whimper, a small cry from below. She went to investigate and found herself trapped in thorns. She flapped her wings wildly to escape but became more entwined with the bushes at Hell's gate. The demons pulled her further into the ground above her. They hid her beauty in a mask of self-doubt and shame. They laughed as tears ran down her face at the rejection Heaven gave her in her time of need.

Today, her wings remain broken, her dreams forgotten, her passions lost. Only the dog remembers a time when the angel flew high in the heavens, soaring above the clouds

Now she is stuck between the two worlds: too tarnished for Heaven and too wary for Hell. She is in private purgatory. She knows that her fight will be long. She knows she may not win. Yet, she must try because the dog lies at her feet even as she hides her feelings behind a boarded curtain, loving her just because she is, not because she was or will be. He keeps her in the present so that she can hold o