You know how the rest of that line goes, right? One of my sisters got a new puppy this week and as you can see, he is adorable. As you may recall, my girls came home from spending time on my nephew Cody’s “land of animals” this Christmas more determined than ever to get a dog of their own. My youngest in particular has been stressing over how to raise the money I insist we must have for any necessary medical bills before getting a dog. And, of course this was made clearer than ever with the passing of one of Cody’s dogs just a few weeks ago. This has been a very “dog” year so far. Anyway, the arrival of Duncan, this new puppy, has made the urgency of getting a dog just that much worse for Tori. While I see the arrival of Duncan as proof that you never know what is around the corner, she sees it as somehow meaning that she’ll never get a dog of her own.

The last thing she wants to hear is my positive spin on things. She needs concrete answers. She just wants to know how we are going to get the money for her dog and she wants to know today. I feel her frustration. I know it’s hard to sit back and be patient, especially when it feels as though everyone else has what you want. God knows dogs are everywhere. I definitely see a dog in our future, and I trust that it will be every bit as cute as Duncan when he or she comes into our lives. In the meantime, I am hoping Tori can relax a little and learn to trust that good things are coming our way.