**Happy Birthday to Me: Tears on a Happy Day**
Van, a scruffy little dog with a patchy coat and soulful eyes, lived in a quiet corner of the world, in a place where the trees whispered secrets and the wind carried the scent of distant flowers. He had once known the warmth of a family, the joy of a wagging tail greeting familiar faces, and the comfort of a loving hand stroking his fur. But those days were long gone, now just faded memories that sometimes surfaced in his dreams.
Van was an orphaned dog, left to fend for himself after his owner passed away suddenly. He had wandered the streets for months, searching for that familiar scent of home, but all he found was loneliness and the cold, indifferent stares of strangers who passed him by. Eventually, Van found his way to a small, dilapidated shelter on the outskirts of town. The shelter was run by a kind, elderly woman who did her best to care for the animals, but with so many mouths to feed and so few resources, Van often felt invisible.
Today was Van’s birthday—at least, that’s what he had decided. He wasn’t sure of the exact day he was born, but he remembered that his old owner used to celebrate it around this time of year. She would always make a special fuss over him, with a new toy, a treat, and lots of cuddles. Those were the days when Van’s heart felt full, when he believed he was the luckiest dog in the world.
But now, as Van sat alone in the corner of the shelter, the reality of his situation weighed heavily on him. The shelter was quiet, save for the occasional bark or whimper from the other dogs. The elderly woman who ran the place had been too busy that day to notice Van’s downcast eyes or the way he had retreated into himself.
Van tried to cheer himself up. After all, it was his birthday, and he wanted to feel happy, even if no one else knew. He found an old, chewed-up tennis ball in the corner of the yard and tossed it into the air, catching it in his mouth. He pretended it was new, that it was a gift just for him. But as he played by himself, the sadness in his heart grew heavier, and the game quickly lost its joy.
The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the shelter yard. Van watched as the light faded, his heart sinking with it. He had hoped, deep down, that someone might remember—that someone might come and say, “Happy Birthday, Van,” and maybe give him a pat on the head or a special treat. But as the minutes ticked by, it became clear that today would be just like any other day—lonely and forgotten.
Tears welled up in Van’s eyes as he curled up in a ball on the cold, hard ground. He tried to hold them back, tried to convince himself that it didn’t matter, that he was strong enough to be happy on his own. But the tears came anyway, silent and steady, each one a reminder of what he had lost and what he longed for.
“Happy Birthday to me,” Van whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the soft rustling of the wind. But the words felt hollow, and they only made the ache in his chest grow deeper.
Van’s tears soaked into his fur, and he closed his eyes, wishing for the pain to go away. He wished for the warmth of his old owner’s embrace, for the sound of her voice telling him that he was a good boy, that he was loved. He wished that he wasn’t alone, that someone, anyone, would be by his side on this special day.
As the night grew darker, Van finally drifted off to sleep, his small body trembling with the weight of his sorrow. In his dreams, he was back in his old home, with the familiar scent of home all around him. His owner was there, smiling down at him, holding out a new toy just for him. “Happy Birthday, Van,” she said, and for a moment, everything was perfect again.
But when Van woke up, the dream faded, leaving only the cold reality of the shelter and the emptiness in his heart. The tears had dried on his fur, but the sadness remained, a constant companion on this lonely journey.
Van knew that tomorrow would be just another day, that the world would keep turning, and that he would continue to wait, hoping for the love he once had. But for now, all he could do was whisper one last time, “Happy Birthday to me,” and let the tears fall where no one could see.
