Life
Elderly man thanks neighbors for bringing him newfound joy after asking him to pet sit
A small request from the neighbors ended up being a blessing in disguise.
Caryl Jane Espiritu
05.03.22

Getting old can be quite the challenge, not only because your bones are weaker but because you slowly realize there are only a few things that truly bring joy in this life.

One old man realized this fact after being asked to dogsit for his neighbor.

Afterward, he wanted to make sure that the people next door knew how happy he felt.

Pexels - Craig Dennis
Source:
Pexels - Craig Dennis

A Reddit user has shared a sweet letter they received from an elderly man who lived in their neighborhood.

They had hired him to babysit their pet dogs for a short time while they were away.

Pixabay - Joenomias
Source:
Pixabay - Joenomias

The senior citizen named Robert was very happy with the job and wrote to the owners about his incredible experience.

The letter started with him sharing how it felt to be old, particularly when he had also lost a loved one recently.

Pexels - Miriam Salgado
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Pexels - Miriam Salgado

“As you know, I’m an old man. You don’t see me outside often anymore, as these joints aren’t as lively as they used to be. To add to that, two years ago, in the midst of the pandemic, my dad got diagnosed with stage four colon cancer.”

Unsplash - Mykyta Martynenko
Source:
Unsplash - Mykyta Martynenko

Robert continued on to share how he is now alone, without his own family.

He used to be so lonely and spent every day sitting around wondering what he has done for the world until he finally met the dogs – Smokey, Oreo, and Jennifer.

He continued on to share how he fondly sees the pets:

“Your pets are the cutest, funniest, and most troublesome (In a good way, don’t worry, they didn’t mess up the house too much!) individuals. They gave me the motivation to restart my life again.”

Pixabay - MabelAmber
Source:
Pixabay - MabelAmber

Evidently, the once quiet and lonely old man had found a new source of happiness.

His world started to change for the better and he now has a happy smile when he wakes up in the morning – all thanks to the neighbors’ lovely pets.

Pexels - James Frid
Source:
Pexels - James Frid

Robert began to get more exercise because of walking the dogs and whenever he felt sad, the dogs would make him laugh.

Now more active and happier, the elderly man thanked the family who has given him a chance to meet the lovely dogs and discover that there are other ways to find happiness. The dogs surely walked their way into the man’s heart, giving him a new reason to stay happy and healthy.

Pexels - Boys in Bristol Photography
Source:
Pexels - Boys in Bristol Photography

Robert also highlighted the part of the dogs’ stay with him:

“The highlight of their stay was when I took them to the park. It was the longest time I’ve spent outside in a while. It didn’t just bring back pet interaction, I also met other people, started talking, and made friends with a handful of fellow human beings.”

Reddit - SnooCupcakes8607
Source:
Reddit - SnooCupcakes8607

After spending time with Smokey, Oreo, and Jennifer, Robert was extremely grateful for the blessings he had received.

He may have found a job as a dog sitter, but what he stumbled upon was far greater: a life worth living once again.

Read Robert’s heartwarming letter in the original post below!

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