Sara

WHEN I FIRST MET SARA SHE WAS IN A GARAGE WITH

HER MOTHER AND HER TWO BROTHERS. I SAT DOWN ON THE

FLOOR AND SHE CAME OVER AND CLIMBED UP INTO MY LAP AS IF

TO SAY ” I WON’T LET YOU LEAVE WITHOUT ME”.

WELL IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT FOR BOTH OF US AND

WE STARTED A LONG AND TRUE FRIENDSHIP THAT DAY.

SHE WAS SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT INTO MY BOOT.

SARA WAS ONLY FOUR WEEKS OLD THE DAY SHE CAME HOME

SHE STARTED SLEEPING WITH ME ON A MATTRESS ON

THE FLOOR RIGHT FROM DAY ONE. SHE WAS SUCH A GOOD

PUPPY SHE WENT OUT TO THE POTTY AND WAS ASKING TO

GO OUT BY THE TIME SHE WAS SIX WEEKS OLD.

I TOOK HER TO WORK WITH ME EVERY DAY.

WE SPENT ALL DAY AND NIGHT TOGETHER.

WE WENT TO PARTIES AND SARA WAS ALWAYS THE CENTER OF

ATTENTION. EVERYBODY LOVED HER. OF COURSE MY FONDEST

MEMORIES OF HER ARE WHEN WE WERE ALONE TOGETHER.

EASTER TIME WHAT A HAM !

SARA HAD SURGERY WHEN SHE WAS FOUR YEARS OLD.

SHE WAS FIXED AFTER AN ACCIDENTAL PREGNANCY.

WE LIVED IN A VERY SMALL TRAILER AND I DIDN’T WANT HER

TO HAVE PUPPIES. IT WOULD HAVE CHANGED OUR RELATIONSHIP

TOO MUCH AND I WANTED HER JUST THE WAY SHE WAS.

WHILE RECUPERATING SHE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET A SMALL

STUFFED TOY TO NURSE ON HER.

SHE WOULD PUSH IT UP TO HERSELF . MY GRANDMOTHER NO FAN

OF DOGS SAW THIS AND SAID ” BLESS HER LITTLE HEART “.

SHE HAD EVEN WARMED GRANDMAS HEART.

SARA AND HER BEST DOGGIE FRIEND BRANDY

GREW UP TOGETHER. WE LOST BRANDY ON THANKSGIVING

MORNING FIVE YEARS AGO. SARA WOULD GO OUTSIDE AND

LOOK FOR BRANDY EVERY DAY.

SHE’D GO INTO BRANDYS HOUSE AND COME OUT LOOKING SO SAD.

I KNOW THEY ARE TOGETHER AGAIN AND BRANDY WILL HELP

KEEP HER COMPANY UNTIL I CAN JOIN THEM BOTH.

SARA ALWAYS RECEIVED CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.

SHE WOULD GO TO THE TREE IN THE MORNING AND SNIFF THEM

ALL UNTIL SHE CAME TO THE ONES THAT SMELLED LIKE COOKIES.

I ALWAYS WRAPPED HER GIFTS WITH COOKIES INSIDE SO SHE

COULD TELL WHICH ONES WERE HERS.

I WOULD TELL HER ” GO AHEAD TAKE IT THAT ONE IS YOURS “.

SHE WOULD CARRY IT TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR AND

TEAR IT OPEN UNTIL SHE GOT THE TREAT.

STUFFED TOYS WERE HER FAVORITES.

IN THE SUMMER TIME WE WOULD GO SWIMMING TOGETHER SHE

WOULD FLOAT AROUND ON MY RAFT WITH ME IN MY FRIENDS POND.

IN THE WINTER SHE ALWAYS WORE ONE OF HER SWEATERS OR

COATS TO GO OUTSIDE. BUT HER FAVORITE THING TO DO WAS TO KICK

BACK ON THE COUCH AND WATCH TV WITH HER BEST FRIEND.

SHE LOVED TO SNUGGLE AND GIVE KISSES.

SARA HAD THE MOST EXPRESSIVE EYES. SHE ALWAYS KNEW WHAT

I WAS FEELING. SOMETIMES WE WOULD JUST SIT TOGETHER

HOLDING HER LITTLE BODY WAS THE BEST THERAPY FOR A HARD

DAY THAT I COULD EVER HAVE RECEIVED.

HER BED WITH HER PURPLE AFGHAN WAS ONE OF HER FAVORITE

PLACES TO BE WHEN I WAS BUSY IN THE KITCHEN.

SHE WOULD WATCH MY EVERY MOVE AND IF I WENT TO ANOTHER

ROOM SHE WOULD FOLLOW ME.

I USE TO CLEAN HOMES FOR A LIVING FOR ALMOST TWELVE YEARS,

SARA WENT TO ALL MY JOBS WITH ME. SHE GOT TO KNOW

EVERYONE AND THEY ALL LOVED HER.

SARA WENT TO FLORIDA WITH ME THE LAST TWO YEARS.

WE WENT ON A PLANE SHE HAD A SAMSONITE AIRLINE

APPROVED CARRY ON BAG AND I WAS ABLE TO TAKE HER

RIGHT INTO THE CABIN WITH ME. HER BAG FIT UNDER THE

SEAT IN FRONT OF ME. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY I WOULD HAVE

TAKEN HER ON A PLANE RIDE. PUTTING HER OUT OF MY SIGHT

AND ALLOWING HER TO BE HANDLED BY OTHERS WAS SIMPLY

OUT OF THE QUESTION. WE HAD VERY GOOD TRIPS BOTH TIMES.

SHE ALWAYS TRAVELED QUIETLY AS LONG AS SHE KNEW I

WAS NEAR. SHE WOULD JUST SLEEP.

THIS IS ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE PICTURES OF SARA.

SHE HAD JUST HAD A BATH AND WAS ALL CLEAN AND FLUFFY.

SO SHE POSED FOR THIS PICTURE. OF COURSE HAMMING IT

UP FOR THE CAMERA CAME NATURALLY FOR HER.

AS SARA GREW OLDER IT WAS HARDER FOR HER TO GET

UPON THE COUCH AND THE BED BY HERSELF.

SO SHE WOULD WAIT FOR ME TO LIFT HER UP. SHE ALSO LEARNED

TO USE A STOOL I PLACED AT THE FOOT OF THE BED.

SHE LOST HER HEARING AND WE STARTED USING HAND SIGNALS.

THEN HER CATARACTS MADE HER SIGHT GO BAD AND WE USED

TOUCH SIGNALS. IF I WANTED HER TO FOLLOW ME I WOULD JUST

TAP HER ON HER HIP. SHE COULD STILL SEE SHADOWS ENOUGH

TO FOLLOW ME AROUND THE HOUSE AND YARD.

SHE LOVED TO GO OUTSIDE FOR WALKS WITH ME.

FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS OF OUR TIME TOGETHER I CARRIED

HER MOST PLACES. SHE WOULD JUST MELT INTO MY ARMS

AND PUT HERSELF TOTALLY IN MY CARE.

SHE ALWAYS TRUSTED ME THAT THE DESTINATION WOULD BE

A COMFORTABLE ONE. WE RACE SLED DOGS AND SARA WENT

TO ALL THE RACES WITH US FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS.

I MADE HER A SMALL SLEEPING BAG AND WOULD ZIP HER

UP INTO IT IN THE FRONT SEAT OF THE TRUCK.

ON REALLY COLD DAYS SHE WOULD ONLY POKE HER NOSE OUT.

SHE STAYED SO WARM THAT I OFTEN PUT MY HANDS INSIDE

WITH HER TO THAW THEM OUT AFTER A RACE.

SARA NEVER CAME OUT OF HER SLEEPING BAG UNTIL I CAME

FOR HER.

THE DAY WE SAID GOOD-BYE I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER

BREATH RIGHT AGAIN. I HELD HER FOR HOURS AS SHE

SLIPPED AWAY. SHE WENT PEACEFULLY IN MY ARMS AND

NOW MY LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

SARA MY BELOVED BEST FRIEND OF EIGHTEEN YEARS.

YOU HAVE BEEN THE CENTER OF MY LIFE. WE HAVE SPENT

SOME GREAT TIMES TOGETHER AND SAYING GOOD-BYE TO YOU

IS THE SINGLE MOST HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE.

THE ONLY THING THAT EASES MY HEAVY HEART IS THE HOPE

THAT SOMEDAY SOON WE WILL BE TOGETHER AGAIN.

YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO MINE.

YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE WHEN I NEEDED A FRIEND

AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED

MY SPIRITS LIFTED.

I WILL MISS YOU SO MUCH. YOU WILL NEVER BE REPLACED.

AS MANY YEARS AS I LIVE AND AS MANY DOGS I WILL HAVE

IN THOSE YEARS TO COME NONE WILL EVER COMPARE TO

THE SPECIAL CLOSENESS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP AND LOVE.

THERE’S NOT ANOTHER SOUL IN THE WORLD THAT CAN

UNDERSTAND OUR CLOSENESS.

EVERY DAY YOU GAVE ME LOVE AND COMPANIONSHIP

AND THAT GIFT OF LOVE HAS NEVER BEEN MISGIVING

BECAUSE MY LOVE FOR YOU WAS GREAT.

I REMEMBER YOU FALLING ASLEEP IN MY ARMS AND

ON MY CHEST. THAT WAS THE GREATEST FEELING OF ALL.

I WILL HOLD YOU IN MY HEART UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.

WHETHER IT BE HERE ON EARTH OR AT HEAVENS GATES

I KNOW IN MY SOUL THAT WE WILL BE TOGETHER SOMEWHERE.

EVEN DEATH CANNOT KEEP SOLUTES APART AND IF OUR

LIFE TOGETHER AND THE LOVE WE SHARED CANNOT BE

CLASSIFIED AS THE LIFE OF SOLUTES THAN I

DO NOT WHAT CAN.

SARA MY LOVE FOR YOU WILL NEVER FADE AWAY,

I GOT TO THE GATES OF HEAVEN YESTERDAY .

AFTER WE SAID GOOD BYE

I BEGAN TO MISS YOU TERRIBLY BECAUSE I HEARD YOU CRY.

SUDDENLY THERE WAS AN ANGEL AND SHE ASKED ME

TO ENTER HEAVENS GATES.

I ASKED HER IF I COULD WAIT OUTSIDE FOR

SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE LATE.

I WOULDN’T MAKE MUCH NOISE YOU SEE I WOULDN’T

BARK OR HOWL

I’LL ONLY WAIT HERE PATIENTLY AND PLAY WITH

MY TENNIS BALL

THE ANGEL SAID I COULD STAY RIGHT HERE AND

WAIT FOR YOU TO COME

BECAUSE HEAVEN JUST WOULDN’T BE HEAVEN IF I WENT ALONE

SO I’LL WAIT RIGHT HERE YOU TAKE YOUR TIME,

BUT KEEP ME IN YOUR HEART

BECAUSE HEAVEN JUST WOULDN’T BE HEAVEN WITHOUT

YO TO WARM MY HEART

I USE TO SING THIS LITTLE SONG TO SARA ALOT

ESPECIALLY ON OUR MANY TRIPS IN THE CAR TOGETHER

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE MY ONLY SUNSHINE

YOU MAKE ME HAPPY WHEN SKYS ARE GRAY

YOU’LL NEVER KNOW DEAR HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU

PLEASE DON’T TAKE MY SUNSHINE AWAY

THE OTHER NIGHT DEAR AS I LAY SLEEPING

I DREAMED I HELD YOU IN MY ARMS

BUT WHEN I WOKE DEAR

I WAS MISTAKEN

SO I HUNG MY HEAD AND I CRIED

Ellen

 

Sara