Sadie by My Side
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Dogs
By L.M. Lush

When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.
~A.D. Williams

Standing in the checkout line at my local pharmacy, I clutched a bottle of hand sanitizer, Lysol, and a container of disinfecting wipes. While I was not yet overly concerned about the coronavirus, I wanted to be prepared. At the time, there were only 729 COVID-19 cases in New York State, but most were within fifty miles of my home. School closures, social distancing, and wearing facemasks had not yet gone into effect.

Someone in line began coughing uncontrollably. Everyone, including the employee at the register, froze in horror. I mustered up the courage to turn around, and saw the coughing man standing directly behind me. He was visibly ill. His hands were full with items to check out so he wasn't coughing into his elbow. His face was uncovered, and so was everyone else's. "Oh, no," I mumbled. (Keep reading)