When I was 6 years old, my Grandpa gave me a puppy named Thoree. Since I was too young to take care of myself, let alone a puppy, I agreed that when I turned ten, I would take Thoree home. At the time, I could not pack my backpack for school, could not get ready for bed by myself, and could not do any chores. Also, Thoree was not yet potty-trained. During my visits to Atlanta, I saw Thoree and learned more about how to take care of a dog. I learned what they ate and how much to feed them. They ate kibble at first but then were moved to a healthier diet of raw rabbit, lamb, and deer. I also learned how to bathe a dog. Thoree and Bruno hated baths, so it was hard to keep them still and wash them. The key was to keep the dog still. 

When I turned 10, I was unsure whether or not to take Thoree. I felt like I did not have time for a dog, as fifth grade would be very time-consuming. I also thought that Thoree would not appreciate me taking care of him, because he had been with my grandma and aunt for too long. He would probably be much happier with them than if I had adopted him. Due to the pandemic, I had not seen Thoree for a while and maybe he had forgotten about me. Finally, I visited. 

On the faithful day of March 15, at 8:51 PM, in Atlanta, Georgia, I decided to NOT adopt Thoree. In the hours before, I was debating whether I should take Thoree as my own or leave him how he was. He was very much attached to my grandmother, aunt, and his brother. They were attached to him too. Thoree had only been away from all of them for a week at most. So, I decided to let him choose his path. I needed to do a test to see which path Thoree should take. When he was put on my lap, he jumped down and went right back to where he was before. He also did not follow me. Additionally, I saw whom he followed most, and noted if he sat under my chair at the dinner table. I even did favors for Thoree: I petted him, fed him treats, and played with him. It turns out that he liked us all, but in the end, I determined that Thoree wanted to be with my grandma and aunt more than he wanted to be with me. He had just been with them longer, plus, Thoree would miss them. Thoree would be my aunt’s, not mine. I would NOT be his owner. 

Before we went to bed after praying time, I announced my decision in front of my grandmother and aunt. I told them that they were Thoree’s official owners. My aunt said that whenever I was at their house, I was still Thoree’s owner. But I said that Thoree would still think she and my grandmother was his owner whatever happened. Later, Thoree and Bruno seemed to be with me more, as if I was their second owner. I thought I would be sad that I was not Thoree’s owner. But instead, I felt happy that Thoree was with owners he had known and was with his brother.

Some time ago, my friend learned about Thoree and wanted a dog himself. His mom said “Well the dog lives in Atlanta. He doesn’t take care of it.” His dad humorously said, “That’s the best kind of dog.” By realizing that Thoree already chose his owner, I grew up. I was still a kid, but I became different in some way. I had enough knowledge to know what an owner was. An owner is the prime person that takes care of their pet, the most important person in that pet’s life.

Later that night, at 9:23 PM, Thoree came into my room. I think he knew what I said during prayer time and was thanking me for freeing him. Thoree was my dog until that night, and I did not even have to take care of him. For the next few days, Thoree seemed to spend more time with me. He even started following me around! 

I knew Grandpa wanted me to have a dog, but Thoree was not going to be it. I decided that Thoree already had an owner. I would choose a different dog sometime in the future. I knew what it meant to be an owner, but to Thoree, I was his second owner. It would be best to wait until I could adopt another dog. Then, I would be that dog’s real owner. But for now, I would enjoy my grandma’s and my aunt’s dogs. 

So I guess I was wrong when I said I would post this in 2022, but January 1st is still close enough. Anyway, have a Happy New Year and a wonderful year ahead of you! It is time to start our journey in 2023.