Letter: A fond farewell to a furry friend

I lost my best friend the other day. Man’s best friend. No matter what I do to occupy myself with life’s daily responsibilities or distractions, my mind keeps wandering back to memories of that wonderful companion. I expect her to be waiting at the door when I come home or sleeping in her usual spot or following me around the house or barking at me when I dish up her meals but sadly she isn’t there.

The nagging realization that she won’t ever be coming back leaves such an ache. She gave our family so much joy and happiness for so many years, the void will not soon be filled. We were very fortunate to be able to adopt her as there were many others lined up behind us if we didn’t take her.

The fact that I never have to clean up the yard after her or pay for the expensive visits to the vet or always having to make arrangements for her care if we needed to go out of town can never ease the loss of this great friend. Kelly lived a good life. Sixteen years by our calendars, 112 by hers. I’ve had five other dogs in my life go before her but she will always be regarded as my favorite, saving the best for last. Goodbye Kelly. Thanks for being a part of our family. We will miss you always.

I would love to hear from others about their beloved dogs. My email is dchawthorne@sbcglobal.net.

Dean Hawthorne
Glendale