PUPPY MANIA

About six weeks ago, I came out of my bedroom at eleven o'clock at night, and someone was standing on my porch looking into the window on my front door. As I approached, they scurried off and jumped into a car and sped away. I didn't bother to call the police, because whoever it was would have been long gone before anyone got there. I didn't see the person clearly enough to get a description.

The next day, I was telling my neighbor what had happened, and he said that his dogs were going crazy at about the same time for no apparent reason (guess they heard the guy on the porch nextdoor!). The following day, my neighbor came over and asked if I wanted a dog. We had briefly discussed the previous day also how my oldest child has wanted a dog for nine years, and how much I wanted a dog for protection as a mother of three living alone.

I am also a firm believer that things just seem to flow to me when I am ready for them, and just before that, I had journaled that I wanted a puppy. At any rate, the puppy wasn't to be ready until it was eight weeks later, and they had just been born the day the guy was on my porch.

So today, there is a knock on my door, and it's my neighbor and his wife. Evidently, the people gave away all the dogs already (AT SIX WEEKS OLD!), and there was only one left, a male. I had originally asked for two, because I figure one dog will get lonely while I am working and the children are in school. My neighbor's wife was a little concerned that I would care that I didn't get to choose which dog I wanted, but I very simply stated that this must be the dog that is meant for me. She really liked that (well, that's the way it is in life, folks!), and she walked away with a smile on her face.

I, on the other hand, had to race all over town to pick up necessities for the dog that was getting dumped on me two weeks early. My mom had my oldest child (who has been wanting a dog his whole life, just about), as she had taken him swimming. Luckily, she brought him back just in time to be the first one to receive the dog. My nieces were there, too, and somehow I got suckered into babysitting them.

So here I am with a puppy and five children, who are all fighting over this dog. Cute little fluffy little thing with that puppy breath I remember as a child. I just want to snuggle up with him, and then we could both go to sleep, both of us exhausted from the antics of five puppy-hungry mongrels. Gosh, I guess Mommy doesn't get a turn! My nieces finally left.

Choosing a name for the puppy was also a big issue. The nieces had wanted to call him, "Snickers," but he didn't seem like a Snickers to me. There were some other choices thrown around, but the winning name was "Thumper." We decided on that because he kept thumping while he was lying down.

My son promised faithfully for years that he had no problem cleaning up after the dog. Well, before I got home, I guess the dog did his business on the back porch. It was runny, I guess, so my son wiped it up with a towel, and covered the stain(s) with his tent. First thing I did was give him a lesson in carpet cleaning.

So here I sit, waiting for the last two to pass out before I hit the sack. No church tomorrow due to the presence of the new puppy. This new puppy has brought such healing into our house already, in his first day. For the first time in years, my oldest son said to me that his life was "going good. I have a tent, a fishing pole and a puppy!" Yesterday was his 12th birthday, and I had bought him a tent. My mom bought him a fishing pole. God gave us the puppy.

Remember when it was that simple to be happy? I am grateful for a great deal more things than that, but I am working on learning to enjoy life more. Holding this fluffy little dog brought me back about thirty years. Answered prayers, for sure, mostly my son's!

UPDATE:  The dog's name has been changed to BUDDY.  I guess THUMPER didn't thump enough.....