Good-Bye, Sweet Puppy
Friday, April 02, 2010My dog, Shadow, died this morning. In Michigan. Very far away.
I am so, so sad.
My mom and I got Shadow from the Humane Society when I was a freshman in high school. She was just a pup - about 4 months old. I had been looking at other dogs and none of them were working out. Then I came across this sweet puppy who looked up at me, ears back, with this pleading look in her eyes as if to say, "Please love me." It was love at first sight. I asked to take her out (to the play kennel to see if human and dog are "compatible"). I remember she walked perfectly on the leash. She wanted to stay right by me: "I'll do anything you want and I will love you forever!" Then when we got to the play kennel, I let her off the leash and started to throw the ball for her. She ran half way to the ball, stopped, ran back to me and flopped down onto her back to be pet on her belly. All she wanted was to love and be loved. I had lots of love to give. So that was that.
(Bear with me - I am going to show a lot of pictures. It's more for my heart than for your viewing pleasure.)
Family picture taken for a Mother's Day gift (dogs included: Shadow and Mc Kensie) - less than a year after getting Shadow.
Camping. Shadow loved walking down the peer at Muskegon St. Park, running after the ball in the water and swimming. She was the perfect camping dog - not an annoying yippy dog that barks at everything. Just calm. Took everything in.
Squirrel!
When I woke up in the morning and would go to let Shadow out, I would often find her like this (she obviously didn't have too hard a time relaxing):
She was always really sweet with the kids. This is Blake (Thanksgiving '08) hugging Shadow.
Playing tug-o-war with Lucy.
My sweet puppy...I will miss her...
She was there for me during many different seasons of my life over the past 10 years. She listened patiently to my frustrations...came and laid by me as I cried...laid outside my bedroom door in the mornings waiting for me to wake up...sat at the top of the stairs waiting for me to come back up after putting a load of laundry in...she always loved me even when I got frustrated or angry with her.
I will miss her dearly. I only wish I could have said good-bye.
