By Vicki Bahr 
My grandson, Aidan, turned 13 a couple of months ago and is very excited to be an eighth grader, the highest grade in his school, very soon.
There have been lots of changes in his life, and some of the largest are related to his big brother. Conor recently turned 16, has his driver’s license, is playing summer baseball for his high school, and also has a job as a groundskeeper at the field where Aidan’s baseball team plays.
I suspect Aidan was feeling a little lonely when he came up with the idea to handprint signs and get into the dog-walking business a few weeks ago. He was so proud of his efforts and so sure his idea was a good one that his mom, our daughter, gave him permission to hang the signs on the cluster mailboxes in their four surrounding blocks advertising the dog-walking business: $2 for halfway around the subdivision lake, and $5 for all the way around.
Just looking at the grin on his face as he prepared to post the signs that would begin it all was magic.
As his grandmother, I was thrilled for him, but also very nervous that the days of lemonade stands and summer babysitters clubs were long gone, and Aidan’s hopes were going to be dashed. If we had a dog (and didn’t live 400 miles away from them), I would have paid for his dog-walking services. Aidan’s a great kid and very reliable; I prayed some special someone would help him achieve his goals, make his heart happy, and fill his summer with confidence and purpose. But I was doubtful.
Katie called the next day and sent a picture of a very cute dog named Gus a lady had set up an appointment for Aidan to walk. I cried and Katie cried right along with me, at seeing Aidan so happy and proud… until they found out the “lady” was actually a young girl whose summer responsibility included walking the family dog—and her father was not inclined to pay for Aidan to do her job for her.
Then another call came, but it turned out to be a prank that sent Aidan on a wild goose chase to an address where he nervously introduced himself to a couple who had no idea someone had contacted him. And, no, they didn’t want Aidan to walk their dog.
When the pranksters called again, thinking they were hysterical and using some not-so-nice language, Aidan was crushed. And when a group of giggly girls called him and wanted to know why he thought someone should pay him just to walk a dog, he decided that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all, and went out to take down the signs.
Katie said he was disappointed, but she and her husband, Tim, talked to him about it. They told him they knew it had been a rough few days, but he shouldn’t think he’d done anything wrong. Katie and Aidan made plans to collect admission at Conor’s baseball tournament and signed up to volunteer at a downtown outreach program serving lunches to homeless families. Moms know when their boys need a little boost.
And then, by coincidence, Katie talked to their next-door neighbor, who was going through a tough time since her husband had recently moved to the memory ward at a local nursing home.
Sheila said she was doing okay, but felt bad for their dog, Rocky, who had to be left alone for long periods while she was visiting Bob at the nursing home. Rocky is such a good dog, and she knew he must be wondering what’s going on.
Katie offered Aidan’s assistance and explained he had recently been disappointed at the results of his dog-walking venture. It turned out Sheila had seen Aidan’s signs on the mailbox, but wasn’t sure it was “their” Aidan, and would he possibly consider keeping Rocky company and taking him for a walk when she had to be gone for long stretches?
And once again, there were tears.
Aidan’s dream still came through… just in God’s good time.
by Stacey Philpot 
by Jordan Morgan 
