Friday Dog Blogging

Samantha
1972 – 1988

Dear Samantha, my sweet doggy love,

Thank you,

for letting me come into your house and watch as you gave birth to your 13 puppies…

for being my ambassador when we moved – I made so many friends while taking you for walks, because they wanted to know about my dog…

for jumping over trash cans (upright, even!) when I pretended you were a horse…

for letting me dress you up in long frilly dresses…

for sleeping in my bed and keeping me company…

for defending me from the creepy cable guy that one time…

for forgiving me when I treated you badly…
when I bit your poor ear because I was so frustrated (and very young, but still)…
when I wanted you dead because you ate my poor Smokey…
when I didn’t take you for walks as often as you needed…
when I wasn’t as good of an owner as you deserved…

for the years of fun we had together….

for still going jogging with me when you were 15 years old…

for being the sweetest dog ever…

for being the best friend a little nomad could ever have, for loving me no matter what, for kissing my tears and hurts away…

for coming to San Francisco with me, for hanging in there long enough to know that I would be OK out in the world…

for your patience and your good doggy heart…I don’t believe in heaven (or hell) but I hope I’m wrong, because I would so love to see you there…I’ll shake your paw all night long if you want.

(Note, the last picture isn’t torn in the middle because I was mad or anything…it’s torn because it’s an old Polaroid that has seen way too many years of use…)