I awoke to the happy snoring of my dog, Dasha. We both come from Ukraine. I left a decade ago, and some two years ago, a place that used to be home, was compromised for too many. 
My heart drove me straight to Dasha and other dogs, to a small shelter near Kyiv. With help of kind people, we brought them to the Netherlands, to their new families. 
Dasha and I became each other’s new home. 
I love seeing her happy today, and hope she’d forgotten the life before. 
Waking up to the playful smile of your pet, who smells like freshly baked cookies, is one of those feelings, I know you can relate to. 
Making someone happy is life.