Broken Dreams

Last Saturday we picked up our new puppy, and Sunday we had to return it to its mother. What should have been a joyful event for us all ended up being a heavy experience.

It was clear to us quite fast that our youngest daughter Bella was too little to be alone with the dog. The reality was that she and the dog would have to be under constant supervision if the many cuddles shouldn't end in an accident. After the first 10 reprimands in a short period, Bella broke completely down.

We woke up Sunday morning with stress and alarm bells through our body. By afternoon we understood that we had misjudged the situation. We weren't ready for a life with a puppy. There were too many compromises we didn't want to make.

Luckily, we agreed. The decision was hard, and we all cried a river. Yet we know by now the immense price of ignoring the clear signs from the body.

This is also part of life. We can make decisions that turn out to be wrong. That doesn't mean we are wrong, or that life's wrong. It just means that we have made a decision that's a contrast to the life we want to live or the person we want to be. And sometimes we must walk the journey to get the insights.

Listening to the inner alarm takes deep courage, especially when we are in love with a dream and when that dream involves other people or a living creature. Broken dreams hurt -- even when they don't fit into the life we envision for ourselves.

Maybe we will get a dog in a few years when Bella is a little bigger. Maybe we'll never get a dog. Our life and feelings will show us the way. At the moment we just need to get back on our feet again. We miss our furry friend a lot even though we made the right choice. The little puppy when straight to our hearts.

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