Stubby: The only Dog I am not scared of.

I hate dogs. No, they have never done anything to me, I am just too scared of them. They bark, growl, pounce, fight, poop and they are just everywhere no matter where you go. But lately I have changed, someone, something changed my attitude towards them, or rather to be more specific, I changed my mind only towards him. He's my friends 4 year old Black Labrador. The first time I met him, he just kept barking. I was petrified and locked myself in my friend’s car for half an hour (as if he was going to open the door and jump on me). When I met him the second time he was just wagging his tail with a toy in his mouth (the usual) and entertaining all the guests at the party. I was glued to my chair and didn’t move an inch. The third time I met him, I got used to him, a bit. Since then there was no turning back. Every time I go there I discover something new, a new habit of his, a new trick. I miss him when he doesn’t welcome me, I talk about him to my friends, I think about the way he lights up my day whenever he’s around me, dancing and playing with me. You take his name and there he is, wagging his tail at its best. How he eagerly awaits and doesn’t go to sleep till everyone is home. He can even put Shakira to shame with his vigorous hip-shakes. His energy is contagious and makes me forget all my worries. But why? Why do I love him so much, or why everyone loves him so much? He's just a dog after all. I think I know the reason. He's the most selfless being I have ever seen or met. He doesn’t see you for what you are but will shower you with his love nonetheless. You give him love and all you get is love that is pure and unconditional. The world is filled with people who are always ready to pull you down, tell you how incapable or bad you are and make you feel worthless. But he has that knack of making anyone feel extraordinary. He welcomes me with the same energy when I put on some weight or when I am dressed at my worst, or when my cheeks get chubbier. In time, we forget who we really are; the child within us is lost. Maybe, because of the mundane lives we live every day, but he knows the exact way to bring out that child in each one of us. I like to be that child again with him, and for once just be MYSELF.