Ollie was a small, fluffy puppy with bright, hopeful eyes. He loved his mom more than anything in the world. Every day, she would tell him how handsome he was, how smart he was, and how much she loved him. Ollie’s tail would wag so hard it seemed like it might fly off.
Today was Ollie’s birthday. He had been waiting for this day for what felt like forever. He expected his mom to make a big deal out of it. Maybe she would bake him a special cake or buy him a new toy. But as the day wore on, Ollie realized something was wrong. No one was wishing him a happy birthday.
Ollie’s mom did tell him how handsome he was, as she always did. But there was something different about her tone. It was like she was trying to cheer him up, but it wasn’t working. Ollie felt a lump in his throat. He missed his friends, who were probably having a big party. He missed the excitement and the attention.
As the sun began to set, Ollie curled up in his favorite spot on the couch. He felt lonely and sad. He closed his eyes and wished that his birthday could be different. Just then, he heard a faint scratching sound at the door. He opened his eyes and saw a small, brown box sitting on the mat.
Ollie’s heart raced as he picked up the box. He carefully opened it and found a brand new chew toy inside. There was a note attached that said, “Happy birthday, Ollie! We hope you love your new toy. From your friends at the dog park.”
Ollie’s tail started wagging again. He had almost forgotten about his friends. He knew they were busy, but he was so happy that they had remembered his birthday. As he played with his new toy, Ollie realized that even though his birthday hadn’t gone exactly as he had planned, it was still a special day. He had his mom’s love and the friendship of other dogs. And that was all that mattered.
