A Christmas saved

I met this fur ball on Christmas eve five years ago. It was a dreaded family gathering, dreaded because I always come out disappointed. This one was all the more miserable because it happened to be Christmas, where there should be love abundant.

Dinner was over, but the gathering was not. It was suffocating and I had to get some air, to get out. I strolled along fuming, wondering why I decided to go in the first place and now my Christmas is totally ruined.

Down the block was this little pet store. I stood outside the window looking in and felt my anger slowly seeping away. I started to wave and make funny faces to the puppies and they began to look my way. The shop lady invited me in and told me that the two pomeranians in the play pen are brothers. They are fur balls all right, cute and adorable as all puppies are.

My spirit lifted as I looked into their innocent faces, their bright eyes full of hope. I cuddled them and one of them cooed in my arms. The shop lady being shop lady, said "oh look how he's attached to you," and things along that line. I was smiling and nodding but not responding to her sales line. But then the puppy squirmed and I held him up to look if he was all right. Our eyes met and it was love at first sight...

This little puppy is warm and soft and lovable and I can feel that he loves me right back. I made my decision right then and there that I would bring him home. I got all the puppy care and food and brought my puppy back to the gathering. Oh, they were surprised, but I did not care. I have all the love and warmth in my arms. This little pup has transformed my lonely Christmas into the most magnificent holiday.

This is B-chan now, almost six years old and still the mischevious little pup, though a lot rounder and bigger. He was my joy on that miserable night, and still is the joy of my life. He is my Christmas present to myself, a special gift and because of him, I had a joyeux noel.

There is a saying that we should not look into the future nor dwell in the past, because the present is a gift...I am lucky, I got both.