Garrett and his dog, Maxine, sat on the step of his house. It was a sunny day but Maxine looked sad.

Just then the dog next door began to jump in the air. Maxine sighed. She seemed sad because the other dog could jump higher than she.

Down the street lived another dog who couldn’t jump very high, but it could run faster than all the dogs on the block, faster than Maxine.

And in another yard lived an old dog who didn’t jump or run very much, but it had the loudest bark of all the dogs in the neighborhood.

“Don’t be sad, Maxine,” said Garrett. “There are all kinds of dogs who can do all kinds of things! They are all alike because they are all dogs. But they are all different because there is only ONE of each of them.”

Garrett smiled at his dog. “So there is only one of you in all the world, Maxine. Never before has there been a dog exactly like you and never again will there be a dog exactly like you.

"It’s not because of your name or your color or even because you’re my dog. It’s because only you are You!”

Just then a boy came down the sidewalk riding his bike. The boy was very good at riding his bike. He could stop it and start it with no trouble. And he could steer it very well.

Garrett had a bike he was learning to to ride. He had trouble sometimes with steering it.

Then he looked across the street at a girl who was doing handstands. Another girl was having fun with somersaults.

Garrett could do sommersaults but he didn't know - yet - how to do handstands.

And then it happened! Bam! A thought came into Garrett’s mind. Bam! Suddenly! An idea. Garrett made a great discovery!

People are all alike because they are all people! But people are all different because there is only one of each of them!

Never before has there been a boy exactly like Garrett and never again will there be a boy exactly like Garrett!

It’s not because of his name or his color or because of who he belongs to or what he can do.

It’s because Garrett is one of a kind!

© 2004, Darlene Bridge Lofgren