I never believed much in instant karma—until this fall, when life proved how quickly things can shift. We rent a small, worn-down house with a strict “No Pets Allowed” rule, so when my 10-year-old son Mason came home holding a shivering puppy he found behind the school dumpsters, I knew we were in trouble. But we couldn’t leave the little guy there. Mason named him Buddy, and we agreed to care for him just temporarily.
Mason immediately drew a blueprint for “Buddy’s House,” and that weekend we built a small blue doghouse beneath the old maple tree. Buddy loved it instantly. Our neighbor, Mrs. Henderson, did not. With her perfect lawn and perfect roses, she seemed to have a zero-tolerance policy for anything resembling joy. She complained endlessly about Buddy.
Continue reading…