When Fate Delivered My Perfect Birthday Present (Four Months Late)

They say timing is everything, but sometimes the universe has a sense of humor about it. Take Smudge, for instance—born on October 20th, 2019, which happened to mean he could come home exactly on my birthday. Eight weeks later, he should have been home with me for the holidays(December 20th if anyone is curious). Instead, it took until February 2020 for fate to finally deliver my birthday present, and looking back, the delay was exactly what we both needed.

The Birthday That Started Everything

2020 wasn’t exactly the ideal time to get a puppy—though nobody knew just how true that would become. I’d been wanting a dog for way too long, stuck in my migraine journey and feeling like the timing was never quite right. But when Lennah, my sister and Smudge’s breeder at Winquest, told me about this little boy born so he could come home on my exact birthday, well… sometimes the universe sends you a sign you can’t ignore.

Whippets have been bred as companions and hunters for generations, originally created by working-class folks in northern England who needed something with the speed and grace of a Greyhound but small enough to feed without going broke. These dogs were meant to be by their people’s sides, and from the moment I heard about this October 20th puppy, I knew he was meant to be by mine.

There was just one small problem with this perfect plan: shipping a puppy in winter.

When Weather Has Other Plans

December came and went. Then January. Lennah wouldn’t ship Smudge if the weather was too cold—and for good reason. Puppies are fragile, and winter shipping can be dangerous. But as the weeks stretched on, this little boy who was supposed to be my birthday puppy was getting bigger and more settled in Missouri while I was getting more anxious in Arizona.

The weather that year was particularly brutal in Kansas City, as if nature itself was testing just how much I wanted this dog. Every time we thought we’d found a shipping window, another storm would roll through. Smudge went from being an 8-week-old puppy to a 3-month-old puppy, then a 4-month-old puppy, all while I waited and wondered if this was meant to be after all.

But sometimes the best things come to those who wait—and to those who get creative.

A Phoenix Rising Solution

The breakthrough came in the form of a Phoenix dog show. There was a judge flying in from Kansas City who not only had her own airline-approved carrier but was willing to bring a passenger. After months of weather delays and shipping complications, my birthday puppy was finally going to make it home—not in a cargo hold, but in the cabin with someone who understood dogs.

When I got the call that Smudge was finally Arizona-bound, the relief was overwhelming. This little boy who’d been born for my birthday was finally going to be where he belonged, even if it was two months late.

The Friend Who Made It Official

Here’s where the story gets even better. Since Rex was still working and we only had one car, and given my own physical limitations, a friend volunteered to pick Smudge up from his flight. She didn’t just collect him and hand him over—she took him home first and gave him a proper bath, making sure he was clean and comfortable after his journey.

The next day, when Rex and I went to pick him up, I met my dog for the first time. Not a tiny puppy, but a confident 4-month-old (so confident) who already had opinions about the world and a personality bigger than his still-growing frame.

From that moment, Smudge has been my buddy. The only time we’ve been apart since was this past March, when he went back north to be neutered—a necessary trip to make sure we didn’t have any more surprise litters after Fuega’s adventure in motherhood (Fuega’s story starts after we finish Smudge’s).

When Fate Gets the Timing Right

Looking back, those winter delays that felt like obstacles were actually gifts. Instead of bringing home a tiny, fragile 8-week-old puppy right before the holidays, I got a more mature, sturdy young dog just as 2020 was about to turn all our lives upside down. Instead of dealing with house training and puppy chaos during the early pandemic months, I had a companion who was ready to help me navigate whatever came next.

Smudge arrived exactly when I needed him most, even though it wasn’t when I’d planned. Born for my birthday, delivered in the world’s time of need, and destined to become the steadfast companion who would help me keep my mental health intact through everything that followed.

Sometimes the universe knows what it’s doing, even when the timing seems all wrong.

Next time, we’ll tell you about life with our gentle giant—how a dog built like a bodybuilder became the most devoted companion we could ask for, complete with Halloween-perfect markings and a personality to match.

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Thanks for following along with our family stories. Whether you’re here for the woodworking or the whippet tales, we’re grateful you’re part of the Sarkanys Rising journey with us. We are telling these stories while we are waiting to assure the website is fully online & ready after our hosting switch! Enjoy our employee stories!