A Girl’s Best Friend

The summer before going into third grade, I had the two best playmates of all time. My two older sisters were my absolute role models, and I loved spending as much time with them as I could. Both of my sisters are much older than me, so they had to go off to their universities when summertime ended. My whole world got flipped upside down when they left. The house felt empty without them around. My daily routine had shifted from giggling with my playmates all day to entertaining myself after school. At the time, I defined my biggest problems through the word boredom. My little self didn’t realize the feelings I had could be recognized as loneliness.

Most of my time was spent playing by myself in my room, so my parents secretly planned to help with my forlornness. They searched for a puppy to surprise me with! One day my mom was out running when a woman who looked anxious pulled her car over to ask for help. The woman explained she wasn’t feeling well and thought she might be lightheaded from the hot weather. My mom helped the stranger by taking her to our house to get water. Then my mom rode in the car’s passenger seat to make sure she got home safely, and my dad followed them to bring my mom home after.

To prevent the woman from panicking while driving, my mom started asking her questions about her occupation to keep her calm. She walked dogs for a living, so my mom mentioned she was looking for a dog. The woman perked up and said one of her clients just got a puppy. Sadly, this client had found out she was allergic to this specific breed of dog she just adopted, so she was looking for a new family for the puppy. My mom asked for the owner’s contact information. After my parents met the puppy and its owner, they decided the mini-Wheaten terrier would be a good addition to the family. They told the woman they would bring me over in a couple of days to take the puppy home.

The Perfect Gift

After I came home from a long day of third grade, my parents told me to get in the car because they had a surprise for me. I tried to think of what the surprise could be while looking out the window, and my best guess was ice cream. We stopped at a strange house, so I had no idea what the surprise could be as I stepped inside. Before I had a chance to ask whose house we were at, I had the fluffiest, most adorable puppy I had ever seen on my lap.

My mom smiled at me and asked, “Would you be interested in getting a puppy?”

The puppy wiggled around happily and licked my chin. My eyes widened in excitement as I hugged the puppy and replied, “Oh, mommy, he’s perfect!”

Having a puppy in the house completely changed my mindset that year. I was much more focused on my new playmate than missing my sisters, and I had something to look forward to after school. My mom’s kindness to that woman helped a puppy find its perfect home. We named the puppy Scooter, and he became my best friend. It comforted me as I grew up to know I always had someone to come home to. I knew he would stay with me and always be there to listen.

Finding a Forever Friend

The bond Scooter and I share reminds me of how a relationship with God can pull us out of feelings of helplessness. My younger self became overjoyed with a puppy’s responsibility, and God is overjoyed with the responsibility of being there for us. Shifting our focus onto God instead of earthly troubles can change our perspective on life, similar to how I focused on Scooter instead of missing my sisters.

My dog is still my best friend today, and he has loyally been by my side as I’ve grown up. I think God put my dog in my life for a reason, and I will continue to thank Him for it every day.

If you enjoyed this, you might like, Best Friend Wishlist | Sketches of Kindness

Summer Boulais writes from Nebraska.

© 2002 - 2024, AnswersForMe.org. All rights reserved. Click here for content usage information.