It was a day like any other, a simple trip to the grocery store, when my life took an unexpected turn. I never thought a simple question from a homeless man would change everything. That day, he looked at me and asked, “Will you take my dog?”

My life had been difficult. A year had passed since my husband, Jason, died in a car accident. I was now a single mom, trying to raise our eight-year-old son, Liam. The sadness of losing Jason was always with me, and even though I tried to be strong for Liam, every day felt like a hard fight. But Liam, with his kind heart, just like Jason, gave me the strength to keep going.

On that particular afternoon, Liam and I were leaving the grocery store. Liam saw a man sitting on the edge of the parking lot. The man had a small, thin dog with him. Liam pulled on my sleeve, worried about the shivering dog. “Mom, can we help?” he asked.

I wasn’t sure. Money was tight, and I already had a lot to handle. But before I could answer, the man came to us. His face showed how much he was suffering. He told us his dog, Daisy, was the only thing he had, but he couldn’t take care of her anymore. He asked if we could take her. His eyes were full of tears. Liam, always wanting to help, asked me to say yes. I couldn’t refuse.

Daisy came home with us that day. Even though I was worried at first, she quickly became part of our family. Liam loved taking care of her. He even read her bedtime stories, saying she liked “Goodnight Moon” the best. Having her in our home brought a happiness I hadn’t felt since Jason’s death. It was like a little light in a dark room.

A month later, we got a letter in the mail. It didn’t have a return address. It was from the man we met that day. The words in his letter told us how much Daisy meant to him. He was thankful we were taking care of her. He wrote that he thought about her every day and would never forget her friendship during hard times.