My biggest fear growing up has been dogs – yes, you heard me, not darkness, not heights, not failure, but dogs. I have been that kind of person who crosses the street and walks from the other side of the road, if I see a dog approaching, yes even if it was leashed. You would think that big great danes, dalmatians or doberman would scare me, yes they would but so would a lhasa apso or a Pomeranian.

My closest interaction with dogs was when I was in 10th Grade. I studied with a friend Sai, at her house and she has two lhasa apso’s – Snowy and Teddy. They were amazing dogs (never barked or growled at me) and after a year of going her house regularly, I was finally comfortable having them around so long as they stayed 3 feet away from me (which they always did). After tenth grade Sai moved to a different city and that was it for me as far as dogs were concerned or at least I thought so back then.

Forward fifteen years –  my sweet daughter, Sana, who was 4 year old then, and crazy about dogs starts begging for a dog. I keep telling her that I am terrified of dogs and she tries to talk me into it but I stay strong on my grounds. My husband, on the other hand, is also a dog lover and would be very happy to have a dog. A year goes by and I am still staying strong and saying NO. Few more months go by and now she is not asking for it as much anymore but I see that yearning in her eyes every time she meets a dog at a park or at a playdate at her friend’s house and only once in a while she says something like – “She has a dog, she is so lucky!”.

It breaks my heart to deprive her from something that means so much to her and that I know for a fact will be good for her. I have read and heard about the profound effects dogs have had in the lives of growing children and after several guilt trips and self talks, I just decide that I cannot stand in the way of something that is so close to her heart. So I push myself beyond my comfort zone.

On May 8th 2017, we welcomed MIA, a 15 week old Shih Tzu puppy to our family. Sana has had innumerable priceless moments with Mia already in the past two and a half months and in each of those moments, I have felt an unmatched satisfaction. I am still not always comfortable around Mia, I do not pet her, give any belly rubs or even let her come too close to me but I do think of her as family now and I do put her food out in her bowl, take her on walks and I even brush her hair down every few days (as long as Sana is holding her face away from me)

Makes me think about how much a mother can go above and beyond her comfort zone because she always always always puts her kids and their wants above her own needs …  all because she loves them through and through…