Once there was this dog. He was a beautiful golden lab that glistened in the sun as it ran and played. He was discovered at the pound by this beautiful woman who thought he was perfect for her and so she took him home. This woman loved this dog. She took him to the park, and on walks and fed him all of the right treats. He loved this woman and did as much as he could to make her happy. He thought he was being the best dog for her. One day this woman decided she wanted a different dog. She took a knife and cut the dog's stomach open and put it outside.
Surprisingly, the dog didn't die. It limped away wounded. Over time, this dog started to heal. He was able to walk normally, bark normally and give kisses only a dog could give. And even though the dog had a wound on its belly, it resembled a dog you would want to take home - and various owners did just that.
However, it never worked out.
Some of the dog owners want the dog to bark more. Some wanted him to bark less. Some wanted less slobbery kisses. Some wanted slobbery kisses all the time. One owner already had a dog, and so a that owner had a hard time balancing her feelings between the two dogs. (She was a one dog owner at heart.) And even if all of the playtime, cuddling, and dog kisses were worked out, eventually the dog would cuddle enough up with his new owner for the new owner to see that jagged scar. Some found it disgusting and too difficult to deal with. Some saw that it was healing, but not the way they thought it should heal - so some owners would cut open his belly again.
As other owners were cutting up, shunning and discarding this dog, one beautiful black haired woman watched from a distance. She had never owned a dog before and wasn't quite sure how to handle him. Not only that, but she wasn't looking for that type of dog. She had always wanted a Jack Russel Terrier. However, that aside, she watched this dog from a distance.
One day, after his last owner had thrown him out and moved far away from him, this beautiful black haired woman came to the dog and sat near him. Eventually the golden yellow lab came and sat next to her. Feeling courageous, the dog gave the woman a soft puppy kiss. She didn't reject him or tell him he was a bad dog, nor did she demand more from him. She merely looked and him and smiled. She patted his head and stroked his side.
The lab scampered off, but came back later. Each time the lab came, the woman welcomed him with open arms. Each time he scampered off she would not worry. He wasn't really the dog she was looking for. Then one weekend the dog came and stayed by her side all weekend long. She petted his head and sides and stroked her his belly. When she got to the scar she wasn't put off. She didn't try to recut it so it would heal differently. She didn't try to ignore it and pretend it wasn't there. She merely just worked around it. And the dog loved her for it.
As the weekend drew to the close, she took the lab in her lap. She scratched it a little more. She turned down to it and said, "You're not the dog I'm looking for and I know I'm not the owner you are looking for, but you are welcome to stay as long as you need. I will tend to you just as you are tending to me." At that point she pulled up her shirt a bit and revealed a scar across her belly that was jagged and healing. And then the dog realized how lucky he was. This new owner won't cut him for she knew the pain that came from the cut. And so the dog remained, for as long as he needed, with this new woman. He wasn't the dog she was searching for and she wasn't the owner he wanted to be leashed to for eternity. But for now they were perfect for each other as they healed one another.
