In memory of our original Golden Girl, Sophie. 2005-2017 If the kindest souls were rewarded with the longest lives, dogs would outlive us all. We miss you more than words can express.
It was a beautiful afternoon, sunny and warm. Oddly warm for a February day. The ground was soft and the digging not too difficult.
The kids wanted to see Sophie, and they all hugged her and kissed her nose, peeking out of the blanket we'd wrapped her in. The kids all shed tears but wanted to help daddy dig.
When it was ready, we threw in soft pine needles first as a cushion, then arranged our Golden girl in her final resting place. We added a bone, and her very favorite: socks. She loved to carry our socks in her mouth, so we each threw in one of our own socks and did a little prayer for her.
After we filled in the dirt, Aiden impulsively took off the socks he was wearing and threw them on top. "Don't feel too sad," Nora said to Lilah, parroting my earlier words. "She went from Daddy's arms to God's arms."
Brutal and yet beautiful. Sophie continues to teach us the most important life lessons.