What a Great Run!

When my dear Silver Fox walks in the back door tonight, he will join the ranks of retirees everywhere.  I think it's safe to say that he has "gotten the good out of his education."  40 and 1/2 years of taking care of animals of every shape and size and the people who care about them -- also of every shape and size.  :)

I joined him on this journey during his last year of veterinary school at Auburn University when we married in March of '71 and moved into a 10' by 50' trailer on Wire Road.  The following March we moved to Huntsville for Steve's preceptorship, and he ended up working at Bentley Animal Hospital for a year.  Steve had told me before we married that one day he'd like to open a practice in either Hartselle or Australia.  Ha!  Even though I was perfectly willing to go with him to Australia, it was God's plan for us to go to Hartselle.

The day we opened Pearson Animal Hospital was also the day we found out that I was pregnant with our first child.  We had borrowed the down payment on a house, furnished our little 3-room rented office space with garage sale treasures, and literally didn't have two quarters to rub together.  We both believed if he could ever make $100 a day, we would be successful.  I was the receptionist in those first months because I was all we could afford -- me with my bright shiny music degree (very unhelpful in a vet office) and squeamish stomach for blood, guts or "earthy odors."  We will ALWAYS be grateful to brave Mrs. Reed who brought her dog "Inky" through our front door, giving the new vet in town a try and becoming our first client.  As a wonderful symbolic gesture, about 30 years later she was also Steve's LAST client before selling that practice and moving to Ecuador.

The people of Hartselle were so very good to us.  Somehow, they trusted Steve and embraced us both from those very first days.  He couldn't have found a better clientele, and it was the perfect place to rear our children.  He has YEARS of stories to tell, so expect a blog from him soon with the probable title of "Doc's Ology."  He plans to explore the 5 most important F's in his life -- Faith, Family, Finances, Fishing, and Furry Friends (and sometimes Football).  I'll let you know when he launches it.

In 2002, God opened the doors -- very obviously and literally -- for us to go to Ecuador as Southern Baptist missionaries.  Steve's title was Veterinarian/Church Planter, and our assignment was to the Quichua people in the Andes Mountains, people who were very dependent on their animals.  During those years, he did more teaching that actual practicing, but he was still using his veterinary skills on a regular basis.

When it was clear that God wanted us back in the States, we had a real dilemma on our hands.  How would we go about starting over?  We had sold his practice and our home.  Where would we live?  How would we support ourselves?  A friend of a friend of a friend -- you know how that goes -- knew someone who needed a relief veterinarian while she was on maternity leave.  That got us through the first months.  Then, Target and PetSmart started building their new stores in Decatur, Al, and Banfield Pet Hospital was going to be located in the back of PetSmart.  Steve worked at an existing hospital in Huntsville during the construction in Decatur.  Once again, God had it all worked out for Steve to be the Chief of Staff at the Decatur location.

The children and I could write our own book about the memories we have as the family of a veterinarian, but all of that can wait for another day.  Today I just want to tell the world how proud I am of Steve.  His career has been characterized by consistency, dedication, and excellence but most of all, by integrity.  He has focused much of his energy and expertise on the Animal Kingdom and their owners.  Now, he truly wants to focus on furthering the Kingdom of God in the years that God has left for him on earth.  It's been a great run, hon.  I'm so glad I've been a part of this journey with you, and I'm confident that our best years are straight ahead.