The Creation of a New Beginning by Ethan Harris

Cheerios. The little round object that would create an unbreakable bond between a boy and a dalmatian. It's the year 2000. I am one year old. I have been trying to create a friendship with my dad's dog Tressley since I first saw this dog. With no success, I was beginning to believe that it was impossible. Though this dog isn't aggressive, he just doesn't seem to care about me. Then, one day during breakfast, me being my klutzy self, dropped my Cheerios onto the ground. The split-second before the Cheerios hit the ground, Tressley had miraculously sensed that it was raining cereal and leaped up out of his bed and managed to get to my highchair right as they collided with the ground. While this spotty mammal is snatching up my cheerios, I am thinking to my self,Why is this dog eating my cheerios?! After my dad pries the dog from his delicacy, I finish the rest of my cheerios and exclaim,"All done!" to signal my dad to take me out of my chair. I have always dreaded highchairs; I find them an instant death trap. Once I am released from my imprisonment, I crawl straight to Tressley's bed, where he is laying, and make yet another attempt in creating a friendship. When I arrive at his bed, he barks,"Woof!" My mom noticed how close I was to the dog and said, "Careful, Ethan." She didn't understand what that bark meant. It was the ultimate signal.It was the sign that would tell me that he graciously accepted me, allowed me to cuddle with him, and even gave me a few licks. After that day, we had an unbreakable bond. I would give him Cheerios, he would love me and protect me. My parents would just sigh and say to each other,"Just let him love the dog." If we went for a walk or jog and a dog that he didn't know walked by, he would growl until the opposing dog was gone, as if I was his pup and he was there to protect me. Even as I look back on this day, I still find it remarkable that Cheerios created such a friendship.