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Here's Steven. This is a story about a time when my wife Karen and I welcomed into our family a precious little bundle of joy, who happened to have floppy ears, a snout, four legs, and a tail. But first, I suppose that a small confession is in order before I share my story. There was once a time when I held a less than flattering opinion of a certain kind of dog owner. And I'm sure that you have seen them before, too. At first glance, they might appear to be perfectly normal, but upon closer inspection, any previously held opinion pertaining to their alleged normalcy quickly disappears. Watching the interaction between the two species for a moment, and it becomes readily apparent that the collared creature tethered to the business end of the leash is much more than just the family pet. Study them for a little while longer, and you may even witness this goofy dog owner walking, talking, and sometimes even wearing the same matching sweater as Fifi, Fido, Rover, or Rex. Now, as far as I'm concerned, no further evidence is needed before concluding that the two-legged, snoutless half of this fashionably matching pair somehow believes that this four-legged creature is their not-quite-human and very hairy little offspring.
And let's be real. I know fully well that acting as though and treating your pet as if it were your child is just weird, right? Well, at least that's what I used to think until the day an adorable little puppy came into my life, and suddenly I learned just how little I knew about canine relationships. So, Karen and I had the perfect recipe for our life together as husband and wife, and it went much like the old schoolyard song.
You remember. First comes love, then comes marriage, then... Well, you know the rest. The plan was to save up some money, buy a house, fill it with kids, and then live happily ever after.
And you know something? It all went just as we had planned, too. That is, until we discovered that there was a problem with the kids part of the program. As we struggled to overcome this seemingly insurmountable roadblock to parenthood, we became parents.
Well, sort of. We decided to adopt a dog, but not just any dog. We wanted a rescue dog, a real-life pound puppy. And so, one afternoon, we called the local shelter to see if they had any.
And as it turned out, they did, and he had been waiting for us to meet him. He had been abandoned, unwanted, starving, and not yet six weeks old when someone left him one night in the shelter van. Volunteers suggested that maybe he was a mix between a lab and a beagle, or a beagle and a doberman, or a doberman and a... Well, there were just as many possible combinations offered as opinions rendered. But in the end, whatever his puppy pedigree happened to be, we really didn't care. Because this tiny, black and brindle bundle of trembling puppy arrived at a time in our lives when we needed him just as much as he needed us. We brought him home, and we named him Harry. But years later, whenever I happened to mention him, I would refer to him as our firstborn, which, to the astute listener, should serve as a clue as to how that previously mentioned kids part of the program eventually turned out.
Now, as with the arrival of any new family member, Harry's wants and needs quickly surpassed our own, and suddenly we wondered how we had ever gotten along without him. Every day became another lesson in the adventures of puppy parenting. And like all new parents, we simply marveled at the physical changes that seemed to occur to our little guy almost daily.
We tried to imagine how big he would one day become when he finally grew into those massive paws, which fortuitously never happened as he forever remained a small dog with big paws. We celebrate all of his little achievements, too, like when he finally slept through the night, and when he mastered a few simple, silly tricks. And we were especially thrilled when he learned to tell us when nature necessitated his visiting that special spot that we had set aside for him beside our woodpile in the backyard instead of on the family room floor beside the sliding glass door. And of course, our neighbors came to know the newest puppy on the block there in our frequent strolls around the neighborhood. And naturally, we delight it in showing off our little bundle of joy. And if someone somehow had missed his utter cuteness firsthand, up close and personal, there were always hairy photos available to keep everyone in the puppy loop. Photos taken at six weeks and then seven, wide awake and asleep, given puppy kisses, on family vacations, or just romping around the backyard.
Photos from last month, last week, or even last night. I was just another proud puppy pop showing off for all to see my adorable puppy son. And, well, the thing is, I can't explain the circumstances surrounding my transformation of how I had somehow mysteriously morphed into the very same type of dog owner that once upon a time had caused me hilarious bouts of comedic cackling.
Oh, I'd become one of them all right. But once I had, I could never imagine being anything else. Suddenly, two years had come and gone and Harry was, of course by then, a full-fledged member of the family. Our lives were nothing less than perfect.
Or so we thought. But circumstances previously unseen were about to change our happy household and change it forever. When Karen shared the news with me, Harry didn't seem too excited.
Instead, he just yawned and stretched and went right back to sleep. He couldn't have cared less about babies, whatever they were. But this would soon change when Michael was born and two years later when Tracy joined our pack. And in the end, Harry would prove to be an awesome big brother to his little two-legged siblings. But, well, that's a story for another time. Oh, and as for me, I suppose that I should offer an addendum to my original confession from all those years ago.
And it is this. I am still one of those goofy dog owners, the very same kind that I once found hysterical. But hey, don't tell anyone. Instead, let's just keep this a secret between you and me and my current hairy little four-legged rescue, my bestest buddy in the world, my puppy son, Bailey. And a great job, as always, by faith on the production on that piece. And a special thanks to Stephen Rassiniak for sharing the story of Harry with all of us. And if you have great dog stories, send them to OurAmericanStories.com.
Stephen Rassiniak, the story of Harry, his first born, here on Our American Stories. With the best all-inclusive vacation deals to Mexico and the Caribbean, booking your getaway with Cheap Caribbean Vacations means you have more freedom to do your deal. Whether you want to enjoy snorkeling, endless margaritas and more, or simply soak up the sun and sand in a tropical paradise, Cheap Caribbean Vacations has your deal for that. Plan and book the exact way you want at exactly the right price for you by using our exclusive budget beach finder.
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