|
|
|
|
|
A store owner was taping a sign in his store window which read "Puppies For Sale", when a little boy appeared. "How much are you selling the puppies for?" he asked.The man told the lad he didn't expect to let any of them go for less than $50. The boy reached into his pocket, and pulled out some change, looked up at the store owner and said, "I have two dollars and thirty-seven cents. Can I look at them?" The owner smiled and whistled. From the kennel, a dog named Lady came running down the aisle, followed by five tiny balls of fun. One puppy lagged behind. Immediately, the little boy asked about the limping puppy."What's wrong with that doggie?" "The veterinarian told us that the dog is missing a hip socket," said the store owner. "He'll always limp like that.""That's the one I want to buy," the lad said quickly. The store owner replied, "No, you don't want to buy that dog. If you really want him, I'll just give him to you."The boy came close to the store owner's face and said angrily, "I don't want you to GIVE him to me. That doggie is worth just as much as all the other puppies and I'll pay the full price. In fact, I'll give you $2.37 now and fifty cents a month until I have him paid for!" The store owner replied, "No, no, no. You don't want that dog. He's never going to be able to run and jump and play like the other dogs."In response, the little boy pulled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted left leg, supported by two steel braces. "Well, sir," he said, "I don't run so well myself and the puppy will need someone who understands." The young boy who had been wearing a steel brace on his leg for the past four months walked through the front door of his home with a newly purchased puppy in his arms. The dog didn't have a hip socket and, when placed on the floor, it walked with a serious limp. The boy's selection of a physically challenged puppy intrigued his parents, for he had been down-and-out. But with his new companion at his side, they sensed a newly revitalized spirit of hope and enthusiasm emerging from his soul.The next day the young boy and his mom went to see a veterinarian to find out how he could best help his little dog. The doctor explained that if he stretched and massaged his puppy's leg every morning and then walked with him at least one mile every day, the muscles around his missing hip would eventually strengthen to the point of no pain and less of a limp. Although the dog whimpered and barked out his discomfort, and the boy winced and hassled with his own leg brace, for the next two months they religiously kept to their rehabilitation regimen. By the third month they were walking three miles every morning before school began and they were both walking without pain.One Saturday morning when returning from their workout, a cat leaped out of the bushes and startled the dog. Breaking loose of the leash, the dog darted into oncoming traffic. With a speeding truck only seconds away, the boy ran into the street, dove for his dog, and rolled into the gutter. He was too late. The dog was hit and bleeding profusely from the mouth. As the boy lay there crying and hugging his dying dog, he noticed that his own leg brace had broken off. With no time to worry about himself, he sprang to his feet, picked up his dog, cuddled it close to him and started for home. The dog quietly barked, giving him hope and turning the boy's jog into an all-out adrenaline sprint. His mother rushed him and his suffering pup to the pet hospital. As they anxiously waited to see if his dog would survive the surgery, he asked his mother why he could now walk and run. "You had osteomyelitis, which is a disease of the bone," she said. "It weakened and crippled your leg, which caused you to limp in severe pain. Your brace was for support. It wasn't necessarily a permanent condition if you were willing to fight through the pain and hours of therapy. You responded well to the medication, but you always resisted our encouragement for physical therapy, and your father and I didn't know what to do. The doctors told us you were about to lose your leg. Then you brought home your puppy and you seemed to understand his needs. Ironically, as you were helping him, you were actually helping yourself to strengthen and grow."Just then the operating room door slowly opened. Out walked the veterinarian with a smile on his face. "Your dog is going to make it," he said. And the boy learned that when you lose yourself, you find yourself. It is more blessed to give than receive.--- Author Unknown |
|
If you have a story you'd like to share, that helps you to be a better person when you take the time to reflect upon it (please do not send me any copyrighted material!) or if you are just looking for a new friend, I'd love to hear from you! Click on the icon to send me a note. :) |
My domain has been optimized for 800 x 600 monitor resolution. No HTML Editors were used in the creation of these pages. The FuZZieS on this site and other images made by me are COpYRIGHTED and may not be duplicated, copied, uploaded to another server or linked to without written permission of this site owner. All other images are understood to be public domain or proper credit has been given. If you see anything that should not be used, please let me know and proper credit will be given or it will be removed.
© 1997-present WarM FuZZieS. All rights reserved.
