There's Hope For TodaySample

For a number of years my wife had expressed a longing for a golden retriever. At Christmas, I gave in and placed a card under the tree bearing the promise of a puppy as soon as one could be found. It took several months to locate the perfect pup, but I kept her placated with books about “Goldens.”

After three months of searching, puppy day arrived, and our house suffered the invasion of an eight-week dynamo. “Cute” and “cuddly” were soon matched up with “messy, smelly, hungry, nippy, and whiney.” Within a fortnight, the puppy did what puppies do and my wife and three daughters were ready, I mean READY, to sell the puppy. I resisted on the basis that this was my Christmas gift to my wife, and that the “critter” had somehow wormed its way into my heart.

By April, I was ready to auction this puppy on eBay! She’s growing like the beast in Revelation, and if she messes in the dining room again, I don’t think I’ll be able to save her. Her vet bills make my dentist look like a real bargain.

Here’s a simple lesson on counting the cost: Sometimes your best intentions come with pricey consequences. Next year I’m thinking “gift certificate.”