100 Moments

10:10 10.10: Anatomy of a Moment

Cleveland Clinic Children’s 
Cleveland Clinic main campus

Cleveland
10:10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time

What a golden retriever named Kid knows about being a facility dog: That you clock in just like any other caregiver. That you make each person feel like they’re the most important one in the place. That the purest joy walks on four legs. 

What handler Molly Gross knows about Kid: That the first time they met, he looked like a big bunny rabbit with his ears tucked back. That he’ll eagerly pull her to work because he can’t wait to get started. That he has a way of making even the hardest days a little sweeter. 

What a girl named Addie Messinger knows about today: That this is her last chemotherapy infusion for a brain tumor. That she wants to be Cruella de Vil for Halloween. That she’ll miss her friends at the hospital. That she loves Kid. 

What we know about what we don’t know: That endings come, ready or not, as surely as autumn gives way to winter. That sometimes the ones who heal us are fighting their own battles. That according to a Jewish proverb, if you die on your birthday, you’ve truly fulfilled your purpose in life. That Kid, who had B-cell lymphoma, would complete his earthly journey just over a month after this visit with Addie … on his 7th birthday. 

What time knows about love: That it stays. 

Photograph by Jerry Mueller