Millie

Yesterday we said good-bye to our dear Millie.

She was one of the sweetest, loving dogs I have ever met.

I don't like good-bye's very much.

Hate it when I have to say it to my parents as they head back to PA after a visit.

Hate it when I have to say it to friends when we have moved.

Hate it when we lose a loved one.

I have been struck by how emotional this good-bye has been.

They say that a dog is a man's best friend.

That was Millie.

Brian adopted her when she was 4 months old.

And if you have ever heard the story, you know that it was more like she chose him.

If you haven't heard the story, ask him sometime!

Basically after Brian walked Millie around the store 

and put her back in her cage so he could walk around and think about it,

she placed her paw on his shoulder and licked his nose.

She knew what she wanted!  

Ever since then they have been best friends.

She was with him through lonely and difficult years.

She was his companion and she loved him.

Then I came along.

But she welcomed me in.

She was so loving to me too.  But she was still Brian's girl.

She would get so excited just at the sound of our car,

knowing that he was home from work.

Her whole body would shake with excitement

and she would do this little growl that I will forever hear in my heart.

And her most favorite place to be would be as close to you as possible.

Sometimes it would mean being a lap dog, 

even though she was way too big for that!

She just wanted to be as close as possible.

Her favorite place to sleep/lay was our bed.

It was like she could smell us there when we weren't home.

At night she would crawl up on our bed and lay between our feet.

Sometimes she would make her way up to the top of the bed and 

just lay right on top of you.

She was a snuggler of sorts.

And so the emotions I have had this week are not surprising 

and yet so surprising.

I have felt a huge loss.

She was a dog.

But she loved us unconditionally.

Through all the moves we made.

Even through the kids we brought into the house,

who were more tormentors than dog lovers!

And they took up a lot more of out attention.

Poor Millie didn't get as much anymore.

But she still loved us.

There are people God puts in your life to love you, walk with you, care for you,

 relationships we need and treasure.

But I also believe that God blesses our lives with those furry ones,

who can love us, walk with us and care for us

without using words,  just simply by being there.

It's almost as if He uses those furry ones to help us experience His presence.

Sounds crazy, maybe.

But Millie was a special presence.

An unconditional love that never left our sides.

All she wanted to do was to be near us,

to love us and keep us safe.

Even when our attention got focused elsewhere,

her presence and love were still there.

Isn't that just like Jesus?

We thank God for Millie.

She has touched our lives beyond explanation.

We miss you, dear furry one!