What just happened?

I have barked and barked in the past about routines and how one of my greatest fears as a younger man was falling into one.

Well, they don't change. But at this point, it doesn't seem to bother me.

Anyway, I woke up recently to the usual. With one small exception.

Our dog woke up at approximately 4 a.m. and had to go to do her business.

I took her outside and business was executed.

But something miraculous happened after that.

I managed to fall back to sleep!

In the past, when our puppy would wake up extremely earlier than normal, I found myself stuck, awake with nothing else to do.

Normally, I don't leave for work until 7:15 a.m. in the morning and start the day at the office at approximately 7:30 a.m.

However, if you wake up that early, it makes for a very long day.

But I went back into our bedroom with puppy in tow. She crawled under the blankets and found a warm spot.

I soon joined her and my fiancé, slipping under the covers for at least a little bit more sleep.

Thankfully, it happened.

For the first time in quite a while, I wasn't semi-awake. I didn't have to trek into the family room, turn on the television, watch bad infomercials or extreme early morning news shows. Or even a few music videos (disclaimer: Some of you may not even know what these are as music video channels don't really show those anymore).

I fell asleep!

Anyway, I got out of bed around 6 a.m. Of course, it wasn't necessarily by choice, as the puppy had crawled out of the covers and basically laid on top of me.

That's her wake-up call.

"It's time to eat!"

So, off we went. Food, drink, coffee (for me), a shower, a short trip outside, etc.

As the morning continued, I noticed something interesting.

I was sitting on the couch watching the morning news shows and the puppy jumped up o sit next to me.

Then, like she's done for the past several days, laid her head on my lap, just sitting there, knowing that in a matter of minutes, she would be sitting in her self-imposed dungeon (a crate).

But her sitting with her head on my lap like that got me thinking.

I'm in my mid-30s. I don't have children.

I've had several friends who are now parents. They have all told me their lives changed that very moment.

Responsibility becomes more of a priority. The top priority.

Having a puppy does change you, though. You do become more responsible. You realize it's not always about you.

And I really don't mind. As long as she continues to curl up next to me and rest her head on my lap.