A beautiful twist of Fate

It's a good day to practice gratitude, to be thankful for all the blessings we have in life.

If there’s one thing I’ve been able to conclude about living a good life, it’s that it’s not about achieving riches or fame — it’s about feeling grateful for what you have.

Three years ago, I got really lucky. Destiny gifted me a tiny dog.
It was hilarious to me because my wife had always said she disliked small dogs.

"They are toys" - she would interrupt as I stared at some pictures online or played with someone’s little puppy.

Living on a farm does make you hesitate. A little dog can be eaten by a hawk — or even by a chicken, depending on the size.
But when Lunita came into our lives, we didn’t hesitate.

My older brother was visiting us, and with the idea of living like true Ecuadorians, we went out to have encebollado — an Ecuadorian delicacy.

One has to go early, very early, because although it’s a tuna soup, it’s a breakfast item. (Yes, I know that’s odd, but that’s just how it works.)

We were sitting there having our soup when we saw this tiny creature in the middle of the road.

We couldn’t tell it was a girl yet, but that detail wasn’t important.

A car drove by a little too close, and this tiny dog was desperately trying to make friends with someone, to get attention or love.

My brother got up and said, “The puppy almost got killed.”

My wife and I got up from our table, almost angry.

"Who owns this dog?" I asked Michael, the man selling us our meals.

"Nobody," he replied. "She just showed up."

My wife looked at me and, without hesitation, said, "I’m not letting that little dog die."

I nodded in agreement. And that was that.

"We’ll find her a home," I said — convincing absolutely nobody.

A few weeks went by, and Luna’s fur began to show its beauty.
My wife and I were head over heels for this little dog, and we spent most of our days making sure she was safe.

Believe it or not, there was an eagle always flying about, as if calculating whether she could take our Luna. A tiny dog of less than a pound was, after all, easy prey.

Our princess Luna is about to turn three in a few months, and I can't believe it. Time really does fly. She’s become my soul dog, as they say, and every time I have to go somewhere, I try to take her with me to keep my mind at ease.

I’m biased, I know. I find her to be just a perfect little angel.
My wife — the one who hated little dogs — loves her so much she’s become a bit of a photographer just to take pictures of our Luna.

I suggested she open an Instagram account, and she did.
So I guess we can conclude that my dear wife loves little dogs now.

A beautiful twist of fate.

MenO