In our story, a kid discovers that what he thought was a chore was really a chance to love.

Pet Peeve

Jeremy jumped up and down in excitement when his dad agreed to let him have a puppy for his birthday.

“Wow, thanks so much, Dad!” He cried out when the furry, long-legged Labrador pup he’d already decided to name “Charcoal,” arrived from the pet store. He was more fun than a toy and felt like a warm, furry pillow when he hugged it in his arms.

After that long, first day of romping and cuddling, Jeremy yawned and started to drag his tired legs to his bedroom.

“Wait a minute,” his dad said to him. “Did you feed Charcoal yet and set up a sleeping basket for him?”

“Huh?” Jeremy blinked, his eyes feeling like shutters ready to close. “I’m real tired. Can’t you do it, Dad?”

“No sir,” his father shook his head. “He’s your dog and you have to take care of him. And don’t forget to spread newspapers on the floor all around the den. He’s not trained yet and we don’t want to wake up to a big mess tomorrow.”

Jeremy did as his father asked him, though he couldn’t help thinking about how much easier it felt to just fling his toys into the chest than to do all this.

The next morning, despite all Jeremy’s newspaper spreading, Charcoal had managed to find the one uncovered space on the floor to make a puddle. Oh no! “My father is going to be real annoyed about cleaning this up,” Jeremy thought to himself. But his father wasn’t mad at all, because he told Jeremy that since it was his dog, the responsibility was his.

The next few days felt to Jeremy like one endless marathon of puppy care—feeding, bathing, walking and yes, cleaning up after him. “Wow, this is one needy pup!” He thought as he glared at the dog and wondered whether maybe he should have gone for the electric scooter as a birthday present instead.

It wasn’t easy, but little by little, Jeremy started to get used to the routine. Then, he even began to like it. He just loved the thump-thump of Charcoal’s thin, pointy tail banging on the floor whenever he saw him coming. He loved watching the puppy get bigger and knowing it was the food he’d been giving him that helped him grow. And, most of all, he liked teaching Charcoal how to bark next to the front door when he needed to use the bathroom—for both of their sakes.

“Jeremy, we’re going out today so remember to leave … ”

“Leave Charcoal extra food and water? Don’t worry, Dad, I already did. And I also made sure to leave the heat on in his room—it’s supposed to be ice-chilly out today.”

“You really learned to take good care of him, didn’t you?”

Jeremy nodded his head. “Yeah, and you know, the more I do for him, the more I love him better than any toy. Hey, is that the way you feel about me and Deb?”

His father’s lips curved into a big smile that said more than a thousand yeses.

Nesanel Yoel Safran is a writer, chef, and a teacher/student of Jewish spirituality. He blends these assorted vocations on his blog, Soul Foodie, where you can join him on mystical cooking adventures and glean practical wisdom for the kitchen—and for living.
https://soulfoodiecom.wordpress.com/