"Candy, A Gift From Heaven"

Mrs. Jan Roach, one of the best Christian school principals in South Florida, and one of my closest friends, knew of my mother's and my own lonely existence since my beloved Father died several years previous to our Divine Encounter with Candy.

"Take her to Beverly and her mother!", Mrs. Roach declared! And the decree was carried out.

And on a specific day in God's fullness of times, it happened. My mother and I had decided to get a dog at the local animal humane society.

Off we went to Hialeah several miles away, but would you believe it, there were no dogs there at the dog pound to catch our fantasy when normally we would have wanted every one there! The Divine Plan was still in effect!

Our little "Candy Cane", as my beloved friend Carol Ann Ragone would name her, came to live with my mother and I after not having a very good start in life.

She was the runt in the litter which no one wanted; had a slight deformity; and was being abused by a little 3 year old girl intent on poking her reddish-brown eyes out.

Her mother, a teacher at a wonderful Christian school with which I had previously been acquainted, wisely decided to give the dog away in order to save it from the daily tortures being inflicted on her by her own little girl. The trouble was no one wanted the puppy. BUT GOD HAD A PLAN...