My grandson Sam is 10 years old and is as handsome and energetic as a boy ought to be. He's very funny and loves imitating those Hollywood celebrities. He is a very good student too, taking second place in the science fair at his school. He built himself a radio of some sort. I think he's an extraordinary young man. He does have one physical limitation though. He was born missing a foot.
Three months ago his father got a job transfer and so the whole family moved out here to Kentucky. I was overjoyed that my son and his family moved closer to me. The two older boys seemed to adjust to their new home fine but Sammy needed a little help. The whole family favors Sam a little and would do just about anything for him. His older brothers are very protective and don't let anyone make fun of him without paying for it. They're good boys.
One Saturday morning with Sammy having a birthday coming up I took him to the mall to pick out some clothes. We walked by the pet store and Sam wanted to go take a look inside. When he got inside he fell in love with the little puppies. I hadn't seen that big a smile on that child's face in a long time. It was wonderful to watch. I wanted to buy him one of those puppies in the worst way.
When we got home I told his father about the puppies and how much Sammy loved them. He and his wife talked it over and later that evening at dinner it was decided that for Sam's birthday he should have a dog. Sam was in heaven. The father spoke up, "We'll make it an early birthday present. Tomorrow we'll all go to the pet store." Sam had another plan. "I know just the dog I want and its not at the pet store."
When I arrived at the house the next morning one of the older boys told me the good news, that the family was getting a dog. "You mean one of those cute puppies we saw at the store yesterday?" I asked. The boy picked up a flyer off the kitchen counter and handed it to me. "No, this one," he said. The flyer read, "DOG NEEDS SPECIAL HOME."
An hour later Mom, Dad and Sam arrived home with the dog. After the car pulled into the driveway and the rear door opened, most dogs would have jumped out of the car all excited and everything. Not this dog. Sam lifted the dog out and gently placed it on the ground. It was the cutest Dalmatian you'd ever seen. Tail wagging a mile a minute and licking the boy everywhere. Sammy reached down, put the leash on and helped the dog to its feet. "Come on girl."
The whole family crowded around this little dog. Sammy was beaming while tears welled up in everyone's eyes. The sight of this beautiful boy smiling at his new dog was a once in a lifetime moment. Ten minutes later he and the dog were still making there way from the car to the house, stopping here and there. I was watching from the front porch. His Mom came out with a water bowl and asked, "How are you two doing?" Sammy smiled back, "We're doing just fine Mom. Mom, I love you."
The flyer that read, "DOG NEEDS SPECIAL HOME" really should have read, "DOG NEEDS SPECIAL BOY," a boy that understands the special needs of someone with a physical limitation.
You see, this little dog was born missing a leg.
