Saying Goodbye

This week we had to say goodbye to our beloved friend Shamu. The first pet The Hunky Hubby and I chose together. The dog who would jump into any body of water to rescue my husband, even though he is the strongest swimmer in our family. The dog who always knew when I was pretending to drown, and wouldn’t lift a paw to come to my aid. But if a piece of weed touched my foot and I was genuinely scared, He was right there by my side offering to tow me to shore. The dog who jumped into our rowboat when I was pregnant and launched me into the pond. The dog who learned to use the handles of the doors at camp and who could shut a door with his shoulder if you had a treat to offer him. The dog who welcomed each of our babies home from the hospital with a wet snuffle and was ever patient as little boys crawled on his head and drove trucks across his sleeping form. The dog who didn’t have to bark to wake me up to take him outside, he would just lumber into our bedroom and stare at me until I felt his presence and woke with a start. The dog who refused to sleep downstairs, even when he struggled and fell and wheezed, he would always scramble up our stairway to lay in the corner and be by his family. A patient and loving companion. We love you Shamu and thank God that He saw fit to bless us with so faithful a friend.