cinnamon

Submitted by Omega C:

Cinnamon (October 4th, 1996 – June 30th, 2011)

I still remember the day we got you – just a few weeks before Christmas in ‘96. I still have a picture of you as a puppy and Maggie as an old girl laying next to each other in one of the rooms downstairs. I remember the day you took DJ “land surfing” through the walking park when you decided to chase after a squirrel rather than strolling leisurely with the rest of us. I can hear you barking for no other reason than because the other dogs were doing it (and they were usually barking at nothing more than the noises the wind made in the trees outside). I remember you wanting to go outside just because you knew Mr. Teasdale was home, and you wanted to bark at him so he’d come over and pet you and give you a biscuit. I can see that beautiful face of yours, and feel your head on my lap, nudging my arm, begging for nothing more than love and undivided attention.

But I also see you as you got older – having trouble walking, getting up and down, falling occasionally. The persistent ear infections, the hot spots that took forever to heal, the tumor I’m convinced was malignant and the one that developed soon after the first one was removed. You never stopped being that happy, loving puppy I fell in love with almost 15 years ago, but even the most youthful, joyful heart won’t keep you alive and well forever.

It kills me to know that I’ll never see those big, beautiful brown eyes staring up at me again, or that happy, relaxed look you got when someone petted your head or rubbed your belly. It hurts even more that I didn’t get to tell you goodbye and I love you one last time. But you’re in a better place now, and you’re not hurting anymore, and that’s what matters most, I guess. I know it wasn’t easy an easy decision to make, but I do think it was the best one, all things considered. I’ll never stop loving you, and I’ll certainly never forget you. You were – and still are – my sweet, pretty girl, and I love you with all my heart, and miss you more than you’ll ever know.