Puppy Size

'Danielle  keeps repeating it over and over again. We've  been back to this animal shelter at least five  times. It has been weeks now since we started  all of this,' the mother told the  volunteer.

'What  is it she keeps asking for?' the volunteer  asked.
'Puppy size!' replied the  mother

'Well,  we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's  looking for.' 'I know..... we have seen most of  them, ' the mom said in frustration...  

Just then Danielle came walking  into the office

'Well, did you find  one?' asked her mom.

'No,  not this time,' Danielle said with sadness in  her voice. 'Can we come back on the  weekend?'

The  two women looked at each other, shook their  heads and laughed

'You never know  when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately,  there's always a supply,' the volunteer  said.

Danielle took her mother by  the hand and headed to the door. 'Don't worry,  I'll find one this weekend,'  she said.

Over  the next few days both Mom and Dad had long  conversations with her. They both felt she was  being too particular. 'It's this weekend  or we're not looking any more,' Dad finally  said in  frustration.

'We  don't want to hear anything more about puppy  size, either,' Mom added. 

Sure  enough, they were the first ones in the shelter  on Saturday morning . By now Danielle knew her  way around, so she ran right for the section  that housed the smaller dogs.

Tired  of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting  room at the end of the first row of cages. There  was an observation window so you could see the  animals during times when visitors weren't  permitted.

Danielle  walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling  periodically to take a closer look. One by one  the dogs were brought out and she held each  one.
One by one she said, 'Sorry, but  you're not the one.'

It was the  last cage on this last day in search of the  perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door  and the child carefully picked up the dog and  held it closely. This time she took a little  longer.

'Mom, that's it! I found  the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!' She  screamed with joy. 'It's the puppy  size!'

'But it's the same size as  all the other puppies you held over the last few  weeks,' Mom said.

'No not size...  The sighs. When I held him in my arms, he  sighed,' she said. 
'Don't you  remember? When I asked you one day what love is,  you told me love depends on the sighs of your  heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!'  

The two women looked at each other  for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh  or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child,  she did a little of both.

'Mom,  every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and  Daddy come home from work and hug each other,  you both sigh. I knew I would find the right  puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms,'  she said. Then, holding the puppy up close to  her face, she said, 'Mom, he loves me. I heard  the sighs of his  heart!'