I have a small-white dog. His name is Ryan. He moved in with our family in 2007. Every day was a struggle for me to live with him under the same roof. But looking back I can see he has been something more than a pet. What I am going to tell you about is the valuable life lessons that I have learned thanks to my dog, Ryan.

Lesson 1.Be aggressive. When I throw a ball, Ryan’s fatigue disappears, quickly calculating the distance between himself and the ball, and he breaks all the obstacles if necessary to bring the ball to me. Lesson 2. See things as they are. Whenever I invite my friends to my house, Ryan always snaps at my friends and licks their hands. He does not care about how tall, how handsome, or how smart they are. He just wanders around my friends with curiosity in his eyes. He is different from me in that I too often estimate my friend’s character by my own standards.

The small place we live in is actually filled with lots of Ryans. You can form a relationship anywhere that enables you to realize valuable lessons and to strengthen your soul. So, look around you. Who or what is your Ryan?

Shin Joo-yong
Dept. of Social Science at Yonsei University

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