When our family decided to get a dog, it turned into a crazy night full of secrets and discoveries.
The first step was going to the shelter. I gave my 8-year-old son Andy a dog because he begged for one. Kelly, my wife, finally agreed, but there were some rules: the dog had to be small and act well.
After meeting Daisy, a dog with dirty, matted fur, Andy fell in love with her. We liked Andy’s drive more than Kelly’s happiness.
Daisy wouldn’t calm down the first night. Kelly got up against her will to give her a treat, and to our surprise, Daisy stopped barking.
That night, though, I woke up to a strange quiet. Daisy wasn’t in Daisy’s room, and Andy’s bed was empty. The window was open. Fear set in.
I shook Kelly awake, and the three of us quickly searched the house. I called the police, and the hours went by. Just as dawn was breaking, our neighbour called to say she saw Andy looking lost in the woods.
We ran into the woods quickly, where I saw Andy shivering under a tree with Daisy by his side. He believed that Daisy had left because of him.
Back at home, Kelly’s tense behaviour made people suspicious. When I asked her how Daisy got out, she admitted that she let her out so Andy would stop being interested in the dog.
I was very angry. “You put him in danger because of a little mess?”
Kelly cried when she realised what she had done wrong.
As I watched Andy cuddle up with Daisy on the couch, I realised that the bad times and messed up relationships are sometimes what hold us together.
As I told Kelly, Daisy would stay. “She’s part of this family now.”
Kelly nodded, knowing how bad what she was doing was.
The path our family took wasn’t perfect, but at that moment, I saw a sign of hope. Acceptance and forgiveness are sometimes the only ways to heal and move on.
