When evil and goodness show up at the same time

If it went on much longer, I’m pretty sure her head might have exploded.

The one with the emotional collision was, well, my dog.

My already emotional dog, Butter.

I needed to go to the veterinarian’s office to pick up some flea medication.

I asked Butter if she wanted to go for a ride, something she’s always excited to do. I might’ve left out the part about going to the vet’s office.

As I was up at the vet tech’s desk, getting the meds, pulling out my credit card, Butter was making full distance of any slack in her leash. As in, “I’m outta here. Nothing good happens in this place of poking, prodding and strangers.”

At the height of her stress, a man walked through the door, a man who is very much not a stranger. Our UPS driver.

By “our” I mean when you live in the sticks, the same driver brings every single delivery. Mr. John not only brings brown packages, he brings full-size dog biscuits.

Butter knows the sound of his truck and announces Mr. John’s arrival long before he arrives at our house. She insists on our opening the front door so she can scurry to meet him and say, “Hello.”

Butter knows a simple Sit and Shake will get her one of those delicious cookies. Or maybe four. He had actually just delivered a few packages to our home only hours before this encounter at the vet’s office.

Which leads to Butter’s emotional brain implosion. Here she was at the height of her stress, when her favorite person with her favorite cookies walks back into her life for the second time in the same day.

How could something so good and something so bad be happening all at the same time?

Have you, too, experienced this crazy contradiction? You go through one of the toughest times in your life only to be humbled by the kindness of friends, even strangers? Someone does you wrong which leads you to meeting the love of your life?

It’s enough to make your head spin just like Butter’s as you’re forced to make a choice. Do you allow the darkness to swallow you? Or do you swallow the cookie?

There was a moment there I wasn’t sure which way Butter would go. Just as I thought she might bolt for the door, she wiggled her butt over to Mr. John. She sat, stuck out her paw and looked up at him with those loving melted chocolate brown eyes.

“Butter!” he exclaimed, just as pleased and surprised to see her as she was to see him.

She took the cookie.

Or maybe three.

More than packages got delivered that day.

My dog delivered a big ol’ lesson. When darkness and light show up at the same time, you have a choice.

Make the right one.

Sit your butt down, and take the cookie.

Always take the cookie.