India, Jan. 5 -- A friend recently introduced me to a reflective exercise called rose, bud, and thorn. Roses are the milestones one is proud of in the year gone by; buds are the hopes you carry for the year ahead; and thorns are the lessons gleaned from life's unpleasant experiences. Huddled together on New Year's Eve, my friends and I used this to relive happy moments that often slip through the cracks when thorns surface. It is human nature to dwell on the negative, and it takes a deliberate rewiring of the brain to shift the focus back to the light. Our family's standout "rose" of 2025 was Jasper. While we have always loved dogs, various constraints had kept us from bringing one home permanently. However, these holidays, a volunteering opportunity presented itself: Fostering for a local rescue shelter. Jasper, a beautiful black seven-month-old German Shepherd-Retriever mix, arrived like a whirlwind, a puppy trapped in a big dog's body. She had been registered as Lois but responded better to Jasper or simply Puppy. Her multiple names were a bittersweet reminder of her journey through various foster homes. While this lack of structure is a trade-off, fostering allows these dogs to experience love while awaiting their "forever homes". Foster families are thoroughly vetted by the rescue homes, interviewed, and reference checked. Jasper loved human company. Within minutes, she became a part of the family, making space in the centre of the family room. Our younger child pulled out her Harry Potter blanket for her and our older daughter picked her finest squeaky toy to present to her. She was part queen, part goofball. Revelling in the attention, she would occasionally bump into walls in her excitement. Had it not been for Jasper, we wouldn't have ventured out for walks thrice a day. It was a symbiotic relationship between Jasper and the Gills. She taught us to be active despite the snow, holidays, and sheer laziness, while we taught her "chalo", "aaja", "kinni cute hai!", all in chaste Punjabi. She showed us how despite bitterness, she didn't let herself be consumed by it. She remained eager to love and curious to learn. We gave in, lying with her on the carpet, giving her endless belly rubs as and when she commanded them. She stayed with us for three days, while her long-term foster family was away on vacation. The goodbye was emotional, but it was heartening to know that hers is a loving home. Her excitement knew no bounds when her humans came to pick her up. Our hearts feel full and bigger at the same time. Jasper awakened the love that lay dormant for a while, she also helped us make place for sharing more love with more of her kind. It makes me think that this idea should not be an uphill endeavour for our country to implement as well. Given the recent Supreme Court orders on strays, and the pushback of society, it becomes pertinent to instead strengthen rescue dog homes, volunteer by fostering, contributing towards their medicines, food, neutering, etc. This would help rehabilitate our furry friends, clear the streets of stray dogs and ensure their safety as well as the citizens', while making us richer as humans, too. This will certainly result in more "rose" moments for all of us....