I remember it like it was yesterday. The day I got my dog… a dog– and a lesson… I will remember forever. It all started when my dad said we were getting a dog. He said this during the Christmas holidays,  so I always thought of it as a Christmas present. Dad learned that there were some expecting dogs over at Dogwoods, and it turned out the dogs were born on Valentine’s Day. We went to visit Dogwoods first, to see the newborn little pooches. They were precious, so innocent and tiny. I was hanging out with one, holding its pathetic little body and feeling its fragile bones. When we were gone, I was more excited than ever. Day after day I was waiting and waiting. It seemed I couldn’t take my mind off of the little dogs. Not to mention their aunt was Halie, our first dog, with whom I have many memories. It only made me even more eager when I discovered that. Then, suddenly, it was the day. I jumped out of bed like a rocket, got dressed in a flash, and sprinted into the kitchen for breakfast. All this time the excitement was being held back, like water and the hoover dam, and the dam has just broken. I was the first one ready to go when we were about to leave, all buckled up and waiting for everyone to get in the car. When we got to the Dogwoods place, my parents were talking about the cost and everything… blah blah blah… I tuned it out and leaned over so I could see the dogs through the open door. I saw them, one pooping in some kind of litter-box, which was kinda funny, and I watched them for a few minutes until it was time to go inside. The dog pin smelled like wet dog but none of us cared. we all climbed into the dog pin and were instantly paired with our perfect match. I was laying down with a fluffy one, my sister and my mom exchanging affection with a cute one, but my dad was surrounded by little doggies like the press surrounding Michael Jackson. My dad was just talking to the dogs and we thought it was kinda weird, until I noticed one dog was listening. It sat there, watching my dad like he was talking about the most interesting thing in the world. When my dad pet this particular dog, the dog would wag its tail and squint its eyes like it was smiling. It made me smile and think, this dog is the one who loves us back. It gives us more love than we ever could give. I knew when I saw her she would be our dog. When we picked our kind, compassionate, loyal, zealous, cheer-you-up-pup, It felt more like she picked us.