Wonder

There I was sitting in a Hong Kong apartment
Holding onto a pretty poodle named Crystal
Mindlessly wishing for a dog of my own
When? How?
After I get married, settled down with a home of my own?
That's like a gazillion years away...!

Back at work, my eyes accidentally glanced over
A cute black and white puppy fills my friend's Instagram
Bewildered me asked who it belongs to
She asked whether I wanted one
What?!? My subconscious prayers answered so soon!
And for FREEEEE?

Long story short plus a huge mix of emotions
She finally arrived
Tired after a 7-hour-long drive
She just laid there all tired
With me not believing what was unfolding

Ever gotten that feeling where you wanted something so bad
It just seems like a childish dream
Where it'll only come to pass when you shut your eyes
With your head in the clouds
Begging to never come back down?

With Wonder before me, it felt like that.

Yup! I named my first dog Wonder
And she's more than I ever dreamed of

You see, my family love pets but disallow them
Due to the preconceived ideas of the hassle they bring
The noise they may make
Or the mess they leave behind

Thus, having a dog of my own never crossed my radar
Until Wonder came along

...and boy was I unprepared of the "wonder" she'll bring.

Taking care and training a dog isn't easy at all
So glad my sis is back to help me with Wonder
But the rewards are nothing compared to the price paid
Priceless- because you could never repeat a trick the same way
Or have her sit in your arms the same

We try to bring her everywhere we go wherever dogs are allowed
And she draws way more attention than even my blond streak
Strangers will ask her name, her age
Her breed (which up till this day we're still unsure of)
And comment on her cuteness and pretty fur

We think she's a mixed Collie
And Collie's are smart!
She's only 9 months old
But has already about four tricks down her fur

But being smart has its fair bit of challenge though
Like the way she pushes her boundaries deeper into our living room
Where she isn't allowed
Or the way desperation for a doggy treat takes over
And she does all three tricks at once
Before we even give her the command
And talk about dog heat!
Having to wipe every blood stain left
All cos she doesn't want her pampers on

Needless to say
She has brought much joy in our lives
Both for the lovers and haters
(Well, there weren't exactly haters, just super strong skeptics)
Bringing us closer
Making us selfless

Dogs have needs and I can't help but realize
That I'm getting less stuff for myself and more stuff for her
In the morning, she could most probably be the first topic uttered
And at night, she's that one extra being I say "goodnight" to

There are so so many things I love about her
The way she wags her tail when you come home from work
The way she pounces on you and cover your face in wet sloppy licks
Or even the way she licks you longer than usual depending on what you just ate
If it's tasty, milky or anything sweet, yeap!
You're in for a slob that's longer than usual

The way she makes a quick U-turn like she never even came in
Upon your shout that she's not allowed in certain areas
Or how she lays her paw on you just to be near
Or sits by you for assurance

The way she stood up for me and my sis
When stray dogs were barking at us
You could tell that she was afraid with her tail hung low
But she placed us before her
Making her my "WONDER-GIRL"!!!

I can go on and on and on and on
On the wonders she brings
And do expect more posts about her
Because she causes that childlike wonder in me
To continue growing without borders

She's so wonderful she was initially featured more
On my friend's Instagram than me
My friends love and adore her
Some are already waiting for puppies

So thank you Wonder
For all the wonder you bring
The increased joy and decreased stress
The many laughs and the funny moments
I thank God for answering my prayer- you.

Never thought that my dream would come true
But you came and everything seemed new
You awakened the childlike wonder in me
Helping me see the world through you

Oh how wishful thinking's' could turn so Wonder-full ......

Photo credits: breadboyshaun & Jean Lee.