A shop owner advertised a brand new litter of puppies for sale. Within minutes, a crowd drew near. In the crowd was a young boy. 

Though the sign clearly read PUPPIES $30, and the boy only had $2, he still gathered around to look. The adorable little animals were playing in a pen, and it was clear that one of them had a severe limp. More than a limp, the poor thing could barely walk! 

“Excuse me?” the little boy asked the shop owner, “What’s wrong with that puppy?” 

“He was born without a hip socket,” the man explained, “He’ll never be able to walk properly.” 

“I’ll take him!” the boy exclaimed, “That’s the dog I want!” 

“No, no,” the man replied in response to the two dollars the boy was then holding out, “You don’t want to spend your hard earned money on this dog. He’ll never be able to run or jump or play with you.”

“I don’t care,” the boy insisted, “That’s the one I want.”

“Okay, then, just take him. I can’t charge you for this one.” 

At this, the boy became angry.

“This dog is worth just as much as the other dogs. I’m giving you these two dollars now, and I’ll come back every day to pay you fifty cents until I’ve paid every penny he’s worth.”

“If you insist,” the shop owner put up his hands, “I just don’t see why you wouldn’t want a dog you could have fun with.” 

Just then, the boy pulled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, dysfunctional leg supported by a metal brace. 

“We’re going to do more than just have fun,” he explained, “We’re going to support each other.” 

Moral of the story: There’s nothing more rewarding than using your own struggles to help somebody get through theirs.