This is a story of how a sweet puppy helped a little girl along her way; the power of an animal in the life of a child.

The summer of my 10th year I spent largely beneath my bed or at least that is the most memorable part of that time. I had someone very special with me, a new puppy. Her name was Heidi. She was a small miniature schnauzer, covered in soft light gray fur, with a bushy white beard and deep brown eyes; just perfect for a girl like me. We would climb under the bed and snuggle down together in the mist of the discarded toys I had hastily shoved into place under the bed while "cleaning" my room. I would lay on my stomach, throw my arm over Heidi's back, rub her and talk to her. She would always listen to me with great care, never seeming annoyed by my lengthy speeches. My family was going through a tough time and Heidi helped me feel comfortable with myself and the world. She helped me to retreat into this special place of calm and love.

Later I would take her on long walks to the park and train her to play me on the slide. She slept in my bed with me, her back to mine. She had a way of slowly edging herself up against me as the night wore on and I would often awake to find myself perched on the edge of the bed while she had the rest of it to herself.

Heidi was always there for me. Sad or happy, lonely or distracted by friends, she was always there. I loved her very much and was surely a lucky girl to have a dog like her.

In honor of National Puppy Day and mostly Heidi!

Shared On: The Sunday Parenting Party