Why can’t we get a dog?

“Why can’t we get a dog?”

My daughter, Bianca, begged and pleaded.

“Dogs are a big responsibility,” I said.

But she claimed she would care for it.

However, I knew I would be in the end.

After years of no’s, she made a new proposition.

Rather than own a dog, she asked, “can we foster a dog?”

I offered Bianca a deal.

We could foster if she got 2 B’s or less on her next report card.

She agreed.

When the school year began, Bianca was extra motivated.

Homework was getting done.

She was studying more.

And she was even asking her teacher for extra credit.

Quite honestly, I was torn.

I wanted Bianca to get good grades.

But I really didn’t want to foster a dog.

When the quarter came to an end, she got all A’s and 2 B’s.

Things got real.

I thought about renegotiating or offering her something else.

I even considered putting it off a few months (hoping she’d forget).

But what kind of message would I be sending to her?

And to myself?

So we applied to become a foster.

Soon after, PAWS Chicago gave us Lapras, a 5-month old Labrador mix.

Promise kept.

Bianca and I are closer because of this.

She trusts me more.

And she’s still motivated.

I trust myself even more.

I feel good and am at peace.

We make promises to our team, clients, and ourselves every day.

When we don’t keep promises, it communicates that we don’t value them or ourselves.

We hope we’ve helped Lapras find a great home.

She’s made ours even greater.