When it comes to making big life decisions, college is full of them. After a couple of months of searching and applying for adoption, I recently became the father of a six week old… puppy. My new best friend, Horton, is half lab and half Australian shepherd and all fun.
Long nights in the Torch office have given way to longer nights working from my apartment when the curious young pup has taken a brief nap. Saturday mornings of sleeping in and massive bowls of cereal are no more. Now, Horton is up and at ‘em by 5:30 a.m. and after he gets his breakfast, I might have a piece of last night’s pizza.
Though the hours are long and the constant stooping to direct him in some way have taken a physical and mental toll, the strong aroma of puppy breath that only a dog lover can appreciate reminds me to be patient. Recently Horton and I have been working on monumental obstacles like climbing up and down the stairs, not putting our feet in our water dish and walking on a leash. Success has come at different rates for each task, but most efforts have been victorious.
Tacking on an additional responsibility at this point in my life may not have been the best idea. School, work and now the responsibility of another living thing can cause some serious stress. But, a couple of good tosses of the tennis ball, an affectionate licking of the toes or a satisfied sigh at the end of an excellent day with Horton makes it all worthwhile.