Just A Dog

Hello all! I received this in email and thought it was interesting & wanted to share:

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise." "Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a dog," I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man or women."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog," just smile, because they "just don't understand".

Author unknown (until now...) Richard Biby

To give credit where credit is due... I received a "guestbook" message from the original author of this story. I had no idea, as I get many "forward emails" of jokes, stories, etc. as I'm sure many of you do as well. The author, Mr. Richard Biby, wrote this and had it published in the Versatile Hunting Dog, February 2006, the magazine of NAVHDA. Doing a search of this title for the magazine, here is the official link to the page. http://www.navhda.org/feature2.html . Please check it out! Mr. Biby has spoken what true dog lovers feel in their heart.