Wesley, Sioux Falls

“That’s a beautiful animal,” Wesley stated from the streets of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “Can I pet that animal?”

As he stroked my Doberman, he shared, “Been out here three years. Before this, I lived in Ohio. Had a real good wife, and we had a real nice home. We both had a good job. We never had any kids. She got sick. Real sick. It was her heart. The doctors said she had a bad heart.”

I watched as a big tear silently rolled down the side of Wesley’s face, yet he managed to smile at my Doberman and he went on petting her.

“After she died, I was sad all the time thinking about her. THE ENTIRE STATE OF OHIO REMINDED ME OF THAT WOMAN. My heart couldn’t take it anymore, so I left Ohio - left it all behind.”