FREE PUPPIES
We were driving through town the other day
and saw an SUV parked on the side of the road.
Back hatch open.
Cardboard sign.
FREE PUPPIES
I looked over at my wife and smiled.
Because anyone who has ever had a puppy knows
there’s no such thing.
Free to take home
doesn’t mean free to keep.
They cost sleep.
They cost time.
They cost attention you didn’t realize you owed.
They chew things you care about.
They interrupt your routine.
They demand consistency whether you feel like giving it or not.
The sign only tells you the entry point.
Not the life that follows.
And I’ve been thinking…
How many things in life do we label the same way?
Opportunities that look free
but quietly require everything.
Success that looks effortless
but is built on years nobody saw.
Habits that feel harmless
until they start charging interest.
We’re drawn to what feels easy in the moment.
But almost everything meaningful
comes with a cost attached.
Just not always upfront.
I’m learning to look past the sign.
To ask a better question.
Not
“What does it cost to start?”
But
“What will this require of me over time?”
Because the price isn’t eliminated.
It’s just delayed.
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