Boy's Best Friend

"Mom, I love dogs."
"Do you, Kyle? What kind of dogs do you like?"
"Umm, I only like small dogs."
"Not big ones?"
"No. Just small ones. And white ones."
"Not black or brown?"
"No, mom! I only like Ponch! He is my best friend."


And so went the conversation on our walk today. We encountered dog after dog, only to have Kyle reaffirm his affection for small, white dogs like Ponch.

Ponch is my parents (well, really my brother's) dog. And unfortunately for Kyle, he only gets to see his "best friend" 2 or 3 times a year. But one boy's misfortune is another dog's blessing, as Ponch spent the first 2 years of his life being chased by kicking, rock-throwing, tail-pulling toddler. As Kyle's grown older, Ponch seems to have surrendered to his affections. He no longer quakes when Kyle walks into the room, although Kyle's still disappointed that his buddy doesn't play "fetch."

As non-animal lovers, Kevin and I are reconciling ourselves to the fact that we just might have an animal lover on our hands. We just might have to get a dog someday. The things we do for our kids.