We had a dog. A dog with a purpose so great I didn’t even realize what it was until after he was gone. We lost our best pocket buddy Ralph a couple of weeks ago. We haven’t processed this well. It’s April Fools today and since this all still feels like a big joke, maybe today is the day to write about it.
Ralph was tiny. A fierce 4 pounds. He was, as my daughter says, a ferocious gorgeous beast, the Queen. He was in fact..none of those things.
He came into my life, I thought a gift to myself from my mother. My mother’s dog was pregnant after she passed on and she had 3 puppies. Both of my sisters and I each got one of them. Ralph was ours. We had 2 dogs at the time so as Ralph came into our life it was with the idea that 3 dogs made me want to…well…Ralph. But he was the greatest gift. If pictures can tell 1,000 words I think these tell you a million. This dog didn’t actually come to comfort me, but I think he came to be the comfort and a part of my kids life in ways that I couldn’t be. He served the absolute greatest of all purposes…to be loved by and to love a child, unconditionally, without fail, with greatness bigger than 4 pounds.
He was larger than life for my children, especially his girl. He called her “Karen” But he let her dress him up, hold him all day, and he was perfectly content to lay with her when she didn’t feel well. He loved the color pink and all other things that Karen loved. He provided so much comfort, laughter, support and joy.
A routine surgery was too much for his body. He was just too tiny to come back and we will forever and ever miss him. Thank you Ralph for being to my kids (my daughter) what she most needed when she most needed it. Thank you for all of the support and for carrying the torch of so much. Thanks for loving all of us, for running like a gray hound, for making us laugh, and always and forever for your love. To the best comfort dog with a self absorbed, funny personality we will miss you! Enjoy the beach for your girl, play catch for your boy and run fast for your mom. Your dad will carry you in his shirt again, in the meantime stay in the sun so you can be warm. We’ll keep watch for that shady mailman…so far we are still safe. We love you!
Best of luck!
Thnx