By Forrest Preece
A lot of West Austin News readers know Sue Meller, who presided over thousands of events at The Headliners Club during her forty-year tenure there as general manager. Her calm, elegant presence and supervisory talents made that club a smooth-running organization. But it turns out she has another side. Recently, Linda and I met with Sue in her home and learned about a book she has written called “The True Story of Teeny Tiny Tomi. Even Puppies Have Guardian Angels.”
This short, moving story starts with an incident in her life a couple of years ago. While running an errand in her Travis Heights neighborhood, Sue encountered a homeless man who had discovered a tiny black puppy in a cardboard box by a bus stop. Though he had no resources to care for a dog, he had done his best to buy it some milk and keep it warm by holding it gently to his chest. After some negotiations, Sue paid $100 cash for the little female dog and agreed to call it Tomi, because the homeless fellow was named Tommy. The story follows Tomi through several angels, including Sue’s neighbors, a benevolent veterinarian, and some college students, all of whom fall in love with the animal. After each chapter, Sue provides discussion points about life’s challenges and the value of compassion.
The book is beautifully illustrated with paintings of the puppy and her guardian angels by Austin artist Don Collins who died recently at 96. For a Christmas gift that is both a sweet story and teaches some valuable lessons, this book is a fine idea. Copies are available on Amazon.com.
