Well, after three months, we have one puppy left, and it’s getting harder and harder to let him go. Just this morning, I already had to clean up poop and pee, and there is still a mess in the garage to deal with, but the puppy is still here. I haven’t killed him yet. In fact, I want to keep him around more today than I did when he was first born. I’ve been thinking about why that is.
Love is the key to all this. When dealing with all the hardship caused by puppies, the poop, pee, chewing, waking in the middle of the night, etc. there are really only two emotional responses that can happen. Either you decide to love them anyway, using that force which is always patient, always kind, always bears all things and never fails, or you can decide to move in the other direction. You can let resentment build, let frustration grow, embrace anger, set your jaw and determine to get rid of the troublesome vermin as soon as possible.
Option B is what causes little puppies to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere to starve. Option A, an even stronger force, has the unfortunate side affect of puppies sticking around longer than they should on occasion. Sometimes it even causes a lifetime of hardship. But it’s a lifetime of hardship that is chosen because of a decision to love. For me, I’d rather have the troubles of option A than the heart of option B any day.
So, the puppy is still here. And if it turns out that he is still here a year from now, don’t judge me too harshly just because I chose option A. I learned it from my Father who, from the beginning of time, chose option A for me.