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Ellemeno

A literary journal dedicated to the exploration of life, memoir, culture, travel, and writing.

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Promises And Scars

The story of an abandoned dog, a prayer, and a second chance

7 min readNov 27, 2024

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My first marriage was a mistake.

I was young and naive and I missed the red flags everyone else saw. The few I did see, I ignored, but after five years of trying to make things work, I simply gave up. I had to accept the fact that my husband was a complete narcissist with both porn and drug addictions, and since he was the only person he really loved, there was no place for me.

Though miserable, I was too afraid to divorce him. I didn’t know how to live on my own and I was scared, so I stayed. When the loneliness became too heavy, I began talking to God about it. I told him, “I just want someone to love and someone to love me back, unconditionally. Is that too much to ask?”

I did not perceive a reply.

My longing to have a relationship where I could give and receive love was so strong that I did the only thing I could think of to kill the loneliness. I went to the local pound and adopted a dog.

The shepherd-husky mixed breed I found was five or six years old. She was gentle, affectionate, and obedient. Whoever she once belonged to had trained her well. She seemed to like me, and I liked her, so I signed the papers, paid the fee, and led her to my car.

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Ellemeno
Ellemeno

Published in Ellemeno

A literary journal dedicated to the exploration of life, memoir, culture, travel, and writing.

Kelly Gawitt
Kelly Gawitt

Written by Kelly Gawitt

If a walk in the woods and coffee can't fix it, a little whiskey and heart-to-heart talk with Jesus can. Married, mom of 3, and a freelance writer from CT.

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