Here's Some Advice

For the past month now the large dog had sat by the front door every afternoon at five o’clock, his tail wagging back and forth as he waited. And every afternoon at six o’clock the dog gave a hefty sigh and sulked over to his master, hopping up on the couch and resting against him, a look of profound sadness only a devoted pet could experience in his eyes.

The man felt a similar feeling of sadness, and gave his best friend an affectionate scratch behind the ears.

“Here’s some advice boy,” he said softly, his eyes no longer focused on the small television set in front of him.

“You never know what the best thing in your life truly is until one day at five o’clock; she doesn’t come home from work. And then you realize that no matter how long you sit by that front door, she’s never going to walk through it again.

So when you find someone special, you love her. You tell her she makes you feel like the luckiest man on earth, and you hold her close and you kiss her until it feels like the you’re the only two people who matter, because you are. And most importantly, you treat her like a queen, like a goddess. Because if you don’t, you’ll regret it. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

The dog just lay there, making no indication that he heard his master but that didn’t matter. He needed to say those words aloud, to acknowledge to himself his mistakes, and to the poor pup who loved her just as much as he did.

He turned the TV off, no longer even remotely interested. He just felt like lying there. Lying with his faithful friend, their hearts forever broken.