Our beloved

This is a solemn day. It is the day in which Mom, Dad, and I began to fully realize that our Ariel's life is slowly coming to a close.

Let me begin at the beginning. In January of 1990, Dad was forced to leave Mom, Emily (Emmie) and I to serve a 18-month solitary military tour in Ft. Clayton, Panama. We all moved to here to be near Mom's sister here in town and her parents nearby. The adjustment was difficult. Enter into our lives: A new, fuzzy-headed puppy....a ball of pure fluff, really. Ariel. Emmie named her after "The Little Mermaid." She brought joy where there was sadness and loneliness.

Benji-like in breed and coloring, she was the perfect dog for kids. Emmie and I played endlessly with her. Emmie built sand castles in the sandbox; Ariel playfully smushed them down. I even taught her how to "jump rope," and she would run rubber balls around the yard like a championship soccer player. She ate snow, running nose-first all through the powdery white mass, snorting as she went. She was spry and chock-full of nonstop energy.

Her demeanor is so sweet and mild. She wouldn't hurt anyone unless her role of "guard dog" was called upon. She mothered three litters of puppies. She went running with me. She was even in my high school senior photos (above). The most perfect companion.

She has had her share of near-misses, mind you. She was notorious for getting loose and running headlong towards a sound or scent. We'd often get calls from neighbors miles away telling us they'd found her. She once got hit by a car. Ken and I were dating at the time. Thanksgiving evening....Ken carried a bleeding Ariel two blocks back to our house and to the vet to get repaired. She was a trooper. And Ken forever learned how big your heart can grow when you have a pet to love.

I have seen this day coming, ever so slowly as it might have arrived. I have seen her vigor decline. The last time I went over and took her on a walk (in 2003), she left me in the dust for the first few minutes....by the end, she was trailing behind, her brown eyes pleading with me to wait for her to catch up. Her barks to signal a visitor became a thing of the past....she could no longer hear cars pass by at all. Her insatiable jumping whenever we came outside slowly gave way to just a nod of the head and a brief wagging of her tail. Her gait became more intentional and slow. She was growing old, albeit gracefully.

This August makes her 14 years and 8 months old. She is arthritic....she can barely see....she can't hear a thing.....she is thin and weak. Today we all stood and watched her as she struggled even to stand on her own four legs. We eyed her and then one another. A decision is imminent; a decision Mom and Dad have dreaded for 14 years. A decision that many a pet-owner faces.

I do not know what tonight will hold; perhaps God will be merciful and let her go peacefully as she dreams. Perhaps tomorrow will be her last day with us. All I know is that I will forever love this little girl. She has been my running companion....my counselor....my friend....my confidant....my playmate. I will miss her terribly. And I will forever cherish the memories of the wonderful years we had with her.

Thank You, God, for Ariel. For sending her when we needed her most. For giving her a long, full, fulfilled life. For that I am grateful.

I hereby dedicate this week as a week of tributes on my blog to pets. I have so many stories to tell. And I dedicate my writings to my little Ariel....the greatest little dog on the planet.