Birthday Boy

Four years ago, ten puppies came into the world. Borne to beautiful champ sporting breed parents, each puppy was cuter than the next. But one puppy – he was the cutest of them all.

When he was old enough to eat solid foods, he came into the arms of a family who had not specifically planned to have him. His new Momma had been grieving, and his new Daddy brought him home to fill her heart – their hearts - with joy.

And that the puppy did.

He also brought much strife and chaos. The puppy almost never slept, and never stopped racing from one misbehavior to another. He wasn’t inherently bad – he just suffered from inexhaustibly busy puppy mania. Rather I should say, his parents suffered from it. No sooner was he corrected on one bit of mischief than he was on to the next. Many possessions were destroyed. The puppy was so impish that there were days his Momma and Daddy cried out of sheer exasperation. Raising any puppy is hard work, but this particular puppy was a real challenge.

But he was mighty sweet. Big blue eyes, soft velvety ears, and paws so big that friends swore Momma must have Photoshop enlarged them in his puppy pictures. And they loved him more than anything in the world.

The darling puppy grew into a regal and most beautiful dog. Blue eyes gave way to fiery amber, and amazingly he grew into those giant paws. He brimmed with love and affection, and while still (and probably always) excitable, he settled – becoming an enjoyable companion, protector, and teacher. When his Momma and Daddy brought a new two-footed baby into the family, he rolled with it, knowing that this was a very special addition. It took some adjusting, to share Momma and Daddy’s time and love, but he accepted the adjustments with grace. Being a big brother was a lot of work. But he knew it was neat, too. Momma and Daddy always made sure he still got plenty of love and affection – which was enough to make him happy.

And no great chore for Momma and Daddy – he was, is and will always be their first baby.

Happy Birthday, Most Beautiful Dog. You make our family complete.