Puppy Size
"She keeps repeating it over and over again. We've
been back to this shelter at least five times. It
has been weeks now since we started all of this,"
the woman told the volunteer.
What is it she keeps asking for?" she asked
"Puppy size!"
"Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what
she's looking for."
"I know. . .we have seen most of them," the Mom
said in frustration.
Just then the young child came walking into the
office "Well, did you find one?"
"No, not this time," she said with sadness in her
voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?" The two
women looked at each other, shook their heads and
laughed.
"You never know when we will get more dogs.
Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the
volunteer said.
The young child took her mother by the hand and
headed to the
door.
"Don't worry, I bet we'll find one this weekend,"
the child said.
Over the next few days both Mom and Dad had long
conversations with her. They both felt she was
being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're
not looking any more," Dad finally said in
frustration. "We don't want to hear anything more
about puppy size either," Mom added.
Sure enough, they were the first ones in the
shelter on Saturday morning. By now the young
child knew her way around, so she ran right for
the section that housed the smaller dogs. Tired
of the routine, Mom sat in the small waiting room
at the end of the first row of cages. There was
an observation window so you could see the
animals during times when visitors weren't
permitted. The young girl walked slowly from cage
to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer
look.
One by one the dogs were brought out and she held
each one. One by one she said, "Sorry, you're
not
the one." She was at the last cage on this last
day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer
opened the cage door and the child carefully
picked up the dog and held it closely.
This time she took a little longer. "Mom, that's
it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know
it!" she screamed with joy. "It's the puppy
size!"
"But it's the same size as all the other puppies
you held the last few weeks," Mom said.
"No not size ---- sighs. When I held him in my
arms, he sighed," she said. "Don't you remember?
When I asked you one day what love is, you told
me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The
more you love the bigger the sighs!"
The two women looked at each other for a moment.
Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she
stooped down to hug the child, she did a little
of both.
"Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you
and Daddy come home from work and hug each other,
you both
sigh. I knew I would find the right
puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms,"
she said. Then holding the puppy up close to her
face she said, "Mom, he loves me. I heard the
sighs of his heart!"
Close your eyes for a moment and think about the
love that makes you sigh.
