Maizy Discovers Soccer

Maizy Discovers Soccer

🌼 Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026

⚡ Energy: Soft, smiling, and puppy-supervised

💖 Status: Maizy has entered her athlete era

😍 Outlook: Sometimes healing looks like a five-pound dog chasing a tiny ball

After a couple of heavier posts, today we are going lighter.

Because sometimes the heart needs a break.

Sometimes the blog needs a puppy story.

And sometimes Miss Maizy decides to discover soccer in the yard and suddenly everything feels a little brighter.

Today, Maizy found a soccer ball outside.

Not a tiny dog ball.

An actual big dog soccer ball.

Which, compared to her petite five-pound body and four-inch legs, might as well have been a boulder.

But did that stop her?

Absolutely not.

She walked up to it, gave it a suspicious little sniff, and started nosing at it like she was trying to figure out what this round outdoor creature was doing in her yard.

Then she bumped it.

And it moved.

And let me tell you, the look on her face was priceless.

She surprised herself.

Like, Excuse me? I have powers?

So she nosed it again.

It rolled again.

And just like that, Miss Maizy discovered the magic of ball.

The cutest thing ever.

This tiny little girl, who once seemed afraid of everything, was now out in the yard trying to play with a soccer ball that was basically half her size.

Okay, maybe not half her size.

But emotionally?

Yes.

Half her size.

Maybe more.

After hearing about the cuteness, Auntie Marnie showed up with gifts for Maizy.

Because obviously, if a five-pound princess discovers a sport, she needs proper equipment.

Auntie Marnie brought her a green ball and a red ball, both the perfect tiny size for a petite little girl.

And Maizy absolutely loves them.

Not likes them.

Not casually appreciates them.

Loves them.

She noses them around the house.

She chases them when we nudge them with our feet.

And since my energy level is not exactly giving “full athletic participation,” this works out perfectly.

It is a slowed-down version of fetch.

Recovery fetch.

Tiny dog soccer.

Low-impact entertainment for everyone involved.

We nudge the ball.

She chases it.

She noses it.

She pounces around.

We laugh.

She looks proud.

Then, when she gets tired of playing, she picks the ball up in her mouth and carries it into our bedroom so she can chew on it for a while.

Because apparently the ball needs to be relocated for private inspection.

Then she brings it back out into the living room and plops down on the doggie bed with it.

Like, This is mine now. Thank you for understanding.

It is the cutest thing ever.

And I know I keep saying that about her, but honestly, she keeps earning it.

Every time I think she cannot possibly get any sweeter, she does something else that makes my heart melt into a little puddle on the floor.

Watching her settle in has been one of the softest, sweetest parts of this whole season.

It has only been about ten weeks since we brought her home.

Ten weeks.

That is nothing.

And yet, the change in her is incredible.

When she first came home, she was so timid.

So unsure.

So afraid of everything.

Her shadow.

Sudden sounds.

Movement.

Hands reaching for her.

The whole world seemed too big and too loud for her tiny little body.

You could tell she did not fully understand that she was safe yet.

She wanted love, but she did not know if she could trust it.

She wanted comfort, but she was still bracing for something scary.

That broke my heart.

And now?

Now she follows me around like she has important nursing duties to perform.

She waits for me by my chair so I can pick her up.

She climbs onto my lap and settles in like that is exactly where she belongs.

She keeps an eye on me like she knows I should not be left unsupervised for too long.

Which, to be fair, she is probably right.

This is the same woman who needs reminders to rest, hydrate, not overdo it, and stop pretending “I’m fine” is an actual medical update.

Maizy has clearly taken on the role of tiny nurse, emotional support shadow, and now, apparently, indoor soccer champion.

She no longer cowers when one of us tries to pick her up.

That alone makes me want to cry a little.

Because trust from a dog who has been scared is not a small thing.

It is earned.

Slowly.

Gently.

With patience.

With consistency.

With soft voices and safe hands and time.

And now her favorite place is on someone’s lap.

But especially Mommy’s lap.

Obviously.

Because Mommy needs supervision.

Mommy needs warmth.

Mommy needs puppy weight therapy.

Mommy needs someone tiny and furry to remind her that resting is allowed.

Who knew five pounds could hold so much love?

Who knew a little ball of fur could come into our home and quietly take over such a big space in my heart?

I have loved dogs my whole life, but there is something extra special about watching a rescue dog start to believe they are home.

Really home.

Not visiting.

Not waiting for the next scary thing.

Not holding their breath.

Home.

Watching Maizy discover toys, routines, laps, safety, and now balls has been such a gift.

It is healing in a way I did not expect.

Not medical healing.

Not the kind that shows up on a lab result or gets measured at physical therapy.

But heart healing.

Soul healing.

The kind that sneaks in quietly while you are sitting in a recliner, recovering from cancer treatment, and suddenly this tiny creature looks up at you like you are her whole world.

That does something to you.

Cancer has made so many days heavy.

So many days have been about symptoms, side effects, appointments, fear, pain, fatigue, and trying to figure out what my body is doing now.

But today was about Maizy and her balls.

Today was about a little dog learning how to play.

Today was about laughing at her tiny soccer skills.

Today was about Auntie Marnie showing up with the perfect gifts.

Today was about watching a once-timid little girl carry her new ball proudly into the bedroom like she had just won a championship.

And honestly?

That is exactly the kind of update I needed.

No big medical lesson.

No new diagnosis.

No dramatic symptom.

No “please call the doctor if this gets worse.”

Just joy.

Tiny, fuzzy, ball-chasing joy.

And maybe that is part of healing too.

Finding the small things that make you smile again.

Not forcing yourself to be positive.

Not pretending everything is fine.

Not ignoring the hard stuff.

Just letting something sweet be sweet.

Letting a puppy with a red ball and a green ball remind you that life is still happening.

That laughter is still here.

That love keeps finding its way in.

That even after months of fear and treatment and recovery, there are still moments that feel light.

Who knew you could love a little ball of fur so much?

At this point, I’m not sure who rescued who.

But I do know this:

Miss Maizy is home.

She is loved.

She is safe.

She is spoiled.

She is officially a soccer girl.

And Mommy is still under very close supervision.

As she should be.

---

Want to follow the journey from the beginning?
Visit Tiny Tina – Status: Alive (Daily Check-Ins) to see the full timeline of posts.

If you’d like to be notified when a new post goes live, you can subscribe below for free and get an email each time I publish a new entry.

💗 Tina –
One Badass Day at a Time