What a day that was. We surprised Leslie again and this time we brought the party her way. I’ll recap with the first Leslie video in our stories now, but a little background first… An old friend (near and dear to my late father) reached out in February to say that someone very close to her, Leslie, had been fighting cancer (leiomyosarcoma and a brain tumor) for a very long time. Leslie had mentioned that one thing she did to stay positive was watch videos from a little Instagram account called @dognamedstella (heard of it?). So about a month later they got Leslie in the car with zero knowledge of where she was going, drove her a couple hours to our house, and in a beautiful moment filled with laughter and tears we surprised Leslie with her favorite internet dogs. Here we are in late October, and the road has been rough for Leslie. Brain damage from radiation, bone tumors, and extensive lung damage from the LMS have required extreme chemo and hospitalization. Through it all, her spirit shines. So a few days ago the dogs and I rolled with Leslie’s daughter Jenn, and my friend (also named Leslie), to her very cozy and very “Maine” house. Where we pulled off another surprise visit and met her husband, Mark, and her mother, Cys, at a very young 96 years old. Stella and Mabel made a new friend, Violet, their rambunctiously playful 3 year old black Lab that just happens to share common interests! The dogs spent half the time in a picturesque brook behind the house (video to come). This family emanates positivity, and getting to know such a welcoming bunch is an honor. Meeting Leslie, knowing her struggle, visiting her home, and now getting to know the incredible loved ones that surround her brings me back down to earth and reminds me of the things that really matter. This social media life can ironically feel empty at times, but experiences and connections like this remind me of why we keep doing what we do. Leslie, we love you. You are truly an inspiration, and we can’t wait to surprise you again. #keepbeingyou #somuchlove #leslie #dogsofmaine #mainething #labrador #dogtok #dogsoftiktok - @dognamedstella