“Love is patient, love is kind.” 

1 Corinthians 13:4

Today is our dog’s birthday.  His name is Oscar and he is a golden retriever, hence, a golden Oscar (pun intended). He is 15 years old and in dog years that means he is 105 years old! My family and I are so lucky to have this beautiful companion in our lives for all of these years.  

I remember when we first got him.  He was 3 months old and so tiny and adorable.  He was a furry fuzz ball and had the best puppy breath. In the beginning, he slept a lot and when he grew a little bit more his energy really kicked in and he was a wild one. At 5am…trust me…he was a wild one ready to play and ran in circles.  It was like having a little baby and we barely got any sleep.  Then he grew into his body and feet and playing ball was all that he wanted to do.  Whenever there were times I was sad, he would just sit with me and comfort me with his longing eyes and a paw in my lap.  Whenever I would walk from one room to another, he would follow me. Whenever it came to play time he had the best sense of humor and would always make me laugh. Whenever I came home from a long trip, he would always wiggle with excitement to see me.  Whenever it would come to bed time, he would always lay right next to me on the floor. Oscar is now an old man and he has lost his sight, and he is slow to get up due to stiff muscles.  But he still lays by my side on the floor at bed time and sniffs for me when I walk by.  He sleeps more these days, just like he did when he was a little baby.  And we still love and spoil him with kisses and hugs, especially this birthday day.  I thank God that God made dogs.  And I think it is no coincidence that Dog spells God backwards.  It is through Oscar’s love that I feel like I have experienced a 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 kind of love: 

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails.

It is through Oscar’s love that I have found the purest kind of love: one that does not holds grudges, is ever present and ever full.  Happy birthday Oscar!  We love you so much!