When I was little, it was always me who was in charge of running my mom’s errands as I was the youngest in my family. When my mom wrote down the things to buy from the market, I went all over the market near the house, holding the piece of paper in my hand.
One day, I saw some cute puppies a middle aged lady was selling. The three or four puppies that were in a small box had ribbons of different colors around their necks. Their black and round eyes and noses, and slightly folded ears were so adorable that I sat down and patted those puppies, forgetting about the errand.
“Excuse me, Ma’am. How old are these puppies? How much are they?”
Among them, the one with a lime green ribbon followed my hand better than the other puppies. The puppy had white fur on his chest and feet. He was lovely, and so I asked her repeatedly not to sell him until I came back, and I sprinted home.
“Mom! Mom! Somebody is selling puppies at the market, and they are really cute! One of them has a lime green ribbon, and he’s the cutest of all. They are $30 each! Let’s buy and raise him!”
My mom said no at once. If I say a little exaggeratingly, she gave me one hundred exaggerated reasons why we couldn’t raise a dog, starting from “Who’s going to clean up the dog poo?” I begged her, but it was useless.
I got sulky and didn’t say a word. I skipped lunch and dinner. I was a little worried that my mom would get upset if I kept doing that, but I kept my stubborn attitude because the eyes of the puppy seemed like they were saying to me, “Please take me.” Finally, I got permission to buy the puppy.
The next day, I went to the market. Fortunately, the puppy with a lime green ribbon was still there, waiting for me. I brought him home, holding him tightly, and prepared a place for him. I named him Aarong. I untied his ribbon and got him a new red leash.
Aarong followed me wherever I went, and I liked him very much. I sometimes had a race with him, and I took him to the market, too.
It was when I was on my way to the market to run an errand as usual. I had a race with Aarong on the way there. He was running with me until we got to the entrance of the market, but then he suddenly passed me and ran somewhere. Surprised, I chased him, calling his name. Fortunately, he soon stopped in front of a lady and jumped on her. I was confused, but soon I understood the situation. She was his previous owner.
Then he started running toward somewhere else. The lady seemed surprised and said, “Oh, it’s amazing. He hasn’t forgotten the place where he was born. He must be going to see his mom.” We went to where Aarong went.
As we figured, he went to the lady’s house where his mom was. Aarong and his mom that hadn’t met each other for a long time recognized each other, and rubbed their faces against each other’s chest, wagging their tails. I was so moved beyond description.
I still remember vividly how Aarong didn’t forget his mom who gave birth to him, fed him milk, and took care of him, and went to find her. In this world, there are many kinds of loves, but I believe the best of all is the mother’s endless love.
I am amazed by the providence of God who put the love we’ve received from Mother in nature of all creations and helps us remember and find that love. I’ve met Heavenly Mother thanks to the profound providence of God and I am in Her arms. I am truly grateful and happy.