If you have ever fallen in love with a puppy and brought it home, you know the exhilaration of falling in love. Seems like it was meant to be, and you are hooked. You may buy a fluffy bed and a stylish collar, after all, nothing, absolutely nothing, is too good for this lively bundle. You are eager and ready, you tell yourself, it won't be any trouble.

Wow, it turns out puppy is a lot of trouble. Puppy is cute and thrilling but scooping poop is not. Puppy is also very demanding, you want to sleep but puppy loudly whimpers, begs for bites while you try to eat in peace. Puppy jumps all over your friends when they come to visit. Puppy chews your shoes, pees on the carpert and barks at everything. Puppy needs exercise, no more meeting friends after work, because puppy needs another walk. Puppy gets lonely so puppy needs company and you sign puppy up and pay for doggy day care. Puppy needs manners too, so off to obedience classes you go.

Love is more than feeling good and being swept away. Love is a commitment to doing things you aren't inclined to be doing. Love is learning things you never thought of learning. Love is putting your own needs aside for the sake of a puppy.

You think that after puppy grows up life may get back to normal. Actually, there are day when you can't remember exactly why you fell in love with puppy in the first place. You're busy. You're tired. You're preoccupied. The puppy grows up and you barely notice, how quickly the months and years go by. You love your dog but there is less inclination to show it. That is the down-side. The upside is that your dog always notices you, always faithful, always wagging his tail, always available, waiting patiently for you to notice.

Falling in love is like that. You don't like to admit it, but there are days when you can't remember exactly why you fell in love with your sweetie in the first place. In fact, on an hour-to-hour basis it's nearly impossible to remember any kind of thrill at all. When your plate is full, you're easily distracted. You're trying hard, striving to get ahead, attempting to fit in, your mind is reeling, hoping for appreciation, feeling guilty because you're not good enough, twisting yourself into being something you are not but think that you should be, doing the acceptable thing, paying the bills, pretending you don't care when you're heart is shattered, pretending you don't have feeling, being stoic, sitting in traffic, watching the stock market, watching the computer, seeking entertainment, shuffling schedules, bettering yourself, working at a job that pays the bills but doesn't feed your soul--it is no wonder there is not time for spending time with your sweetie or the dog and over time you are less inclined to take the time. That is the down-side of life in general. You've been doing the best you can so do yourself a favor, grab a hand, grab a leash and go for a walk.