You were truly your father and my first wedding gift. You were given to us when we returned from our honeymoon. So small and cute. We didn’t know then what a treasure we had been given.
It is so hard to put into words how much we miss you. There isn’t a room in our home that there isn’t a warm memory of your sweet face. Each morning we had our routine. First, it was over to Katie & Staci’s rooms to wake them up for breakfast and then you waited patiently for me to return at the top of the stairs to go down and freshen up your food bowl. We would take a walk back to the refrigerator for fresh water over ice cubes. After this, you would want to head out back on the deck for some fresh air or to see if it rained. I would love to watch you sniff the air or drink the rain water off of the deck boards. When you were through, you would tap the glass with your paws and you would come in and lay down to wait for me to go upstairs to get ready for work. Once upstairs, you would jump up onto the counter at my sink and wait until I filled up your cup full of fresh water from the sink. Once you were done, you would wait for me to finish my shower while you had a catnap. I would give you a goodbye kiss and hug and tell you to be a good boy and that I would see you at lunchtime.
When lunchtime came around, all I would have to do is just call your name and you would hurriedly run down the stairs (most likely you were sleeping on our bed—where your dad didn’t like you to be) and you would acknowledge my call with your sweet meowing voice I have grown to treasure. Once everyone had come home and I had sat down, it didn’t matter where, you always came over to say ‘Hi’ and sat with me until one of us got tired and had to move. It amazed me that you always stayed with your father and I until we decided to go up to bed…you wouldn’t go up without us. Sammy, your soft sweet head on my arm or pillow was what put me to sleep. When you let me rub your belly until you purred yourself to sleep was so satisfying to me. You were so good to us and loved us so completely.
What I think is so ironic is that you loved our family so much that it was your heart that finally gave out. Your diagnosis and progression of your heart ailment was so fast that we felt it was unfair for such a loving and loyal fellow. The final diagnosis was dilated cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure — an enlarged heart muscle. I have to believe that this is because you loved us so much and you just kept on keeping us happy beyond our wildest dreams.
Sammy, we will never forget your zany way of taking cat naps, how your green eyes always twinkled with love and energy and how wonderfully verbal you were with us. We will always remember how you were always in the middle of all the birthday parties just to get bow or a ribbon. You were always there…always a part of our everyday lives. There wasn’t anyone who met you that didn’t just fall in love with you. Talk about animal magnetism!
For the first time yesterday, I was alone and I found myself looking for you to keep me company as you always had. You may have left our home and this earth, but you will always been in our hearts. We truly feel that you are the most amazing, extremely special, beautiful big boy. There will never be another like you.
You were apart of our lives for 13 wonderful years but wish we had more time. There was so much left undone…unsaid. I understand that I’m being selfish, but understand that you left us when you had to. We were all with you during the time of your discomfort and your eventual death here on earth. When I lifted your sweet little head and you looked into my eyes, I could see your pain and distress, so I kissed your nose, your cheeks and your head one last time before you went to sleep. I had already told you it was OK to leave us and go to a better place where your pain would be gone, but I didn’t realize then how much I now hurt.
We hope you feel us with you and remember us until we meet again in heaven. You are an incredible little creature and I know that you are making others happy in heaven, too!
Your Mommy and your daddy love you and miss you so much and are thankful we will always have the pictures and memories of you.
Thank you for being a part of our hearts, our souls and our minds.
We love and miss you so much, Sammy-Boy!
Loving you always,
| Sampson |
| Dan, Marcia, Anastasia & Katie Dorsey |