What is a golden retriever?

  “A golden retriever is intelligence”

  “A golden retriever is loyal”

  “A golden retriever is loving”

  “A golden retriever is a tender heart”

  “A golden retriever might just do anything”

  “Anything for me”

  “Anything for you”

  “Anything for we”

  “A golden retriever is the desire to make others happy”

  “A golden retriever is the hope that the important people in their life are pleased with them”

  “A golden retriever is absolutely beautiful in every sense of the word”

  “A golden retriever wants to see the love they give come back around”

  “A golden retriever wants to know they’re valued”

  A golden retriever wants to be good”

  Far off in the world, there are two golden retrievers…

  One pup had everything he could have in the world but didn’t know what he wanted.

  The other didn’t get to have much in the world but she knew what she wanted.

  The first pup was adored by many and envied by more for its incredible skills.

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  The second was scorned by some and mocked by more, and felt alone in the world.

  The former, known as the height of perfection for a golden retriever, was set up on a pedestal from the start.

  The latter, a golden retriever known to be far from perfect, was forced to crawl up the mountain.

  The boy’s golden retriever-ness had been warped, seeing his worth only in his willingness and ability to do what needed to be done, because that’s what others put his worth in

  The girl’s golden retriever-ness had been buried under the scars from the hands of many who exploited the golden retriever’s loyalty in the worst ways.

  Over time, they both healed,

  But it still left heavy on their hearts.

  Strong as golden retrievers can be, they can have weaknesses.

  And they have fears.

  And because of their big hearts, many of these are dependent on others.

  Is all of this right?

  Is this really how things are?

  Is it right to say “overachiever” goes with “golden retriever”?

  Maybe they are trying to hard, like others say

  Maybe they are overzealous, like others say.

  And maybe this means they are tough to care about they way they care about everyone.

  Maybe they are not cherished the way they cherish others.

  And maybe this means they can’t be appreciated.

  Invisible …

  But time kept on, leaving the golden retrievers to fate,

  so the golden retrievers still worked hard every day.

  The golden retriever still used their intelligence and beautiful hearts to see themselves through.

  But that was for themselves…

  For you see, a golden retriever doesn’t live only for themself,

  A golden retriever wants to know they’ve made people happy.

  That their actions matter.

  That their big hearts are seen.

  Because everything a golden retriever does is done with love.

  But the golden retrievers- even as they found many other friends and people who loved them- never felt like they were seen in every sense of the word.

  Because how can somebody see the heart of a golden retriever?

  People can see the actions of one…

  Can tell them how good they are for fetching the stick…

  But you can’t see the heart within.

  These two golden retrievers had been separated for a long time, but when they found each other again

  They realized they didn’t need to “see” each others’ hearts.

  Because they already had the same golden retriever heart inside.

  Now they have each other

  Now they have each other to know they aren’t too much.

  They aren’t annoying.

  They aren’t unappreciated.

  They aren’t unlovable.

  The one thing the golden retriever thought it could not have was a golden retriever.

  But now these two soulmates are here together.

  And they can truly see each other.