Goodbye to a Friend

 I always called her Abbylicious, because she was such a sweet and beautiful girl.

My dear friend Kathy had to say goodbye to her beautiful foxhound Abby today.  Abby would have been 16 in October, which some say is a full life for a dog, but we never have enough time with the pets we love.  Kathy did a hard, hard thing - she let Abby pass over to the other side while she still had dignity in her life, and she absolutely knew how much she was loved.  Abby wasn’t one of those dogs that was just loved by her family, she was loved by everyone who met her.  There was something special about her.  

When Abby was much younger, I had a little dog named Henry and Henry was just besotted with Abby.  Embarrassingly so. He made an absolute fool of himself, and alas, Henry’s love was unrequited. Abby wouldn’t give Henry the time of day, and rightly so...even I knew she deserved better than my neurotic Henry!  

Abby could be a princess and a bit of a prima donna when she wanted to be, but at heart she was a tomboy. She loved running, going on walks and stopping traffic with her beauty, chasing squirrels, sniffing flowers and playing with her friends, animal and human alike. All stuffed toys given to her were immediately de-stuffed and reduced to pelts in twenty minutes or less.  Her grandparents sent her money on holidays and birthdays, and she spent it recklessly on more toys to destroy. I could never actually prove it, but I’m pretty sure she stole Kathy’s credit card and went on shopping sprees at chewy.com.  Kathy said she’d steal your car out from under you and would have you thinking it was all your fault because, well because it couldn’t possibly be her fault.

What Abby would not do for her Momma, though. She let Kathy dress her up in the most ridiculous get-ups and suffer having her photo taken, all with a look on her face that said “yes, I am in fact aware of how ridiculous I look.  However, 1) it makes my Momma smile, 2) I’m likely gonna get a few french fries outta this deal and 3) I don’t have to explain anything to the likes of you.”  

See what I mean? 

Abby came to Kathy by fate. Kathy had recently lost her beloved little cocker spaniel Kayla, and not long after that a good friend of ours mentioned that there was a little stray hanging around her daughter’s parking lot at work.  Kathy said no, it’s too soon wait lemme see her hurry up. Abby was starving and pitiful, nothing like the beautiful girl she grew into, and that’s how she came to be Kathy’s next Good and Best Girl, and the Belle of Sugarland, Texas, to boot.

Abby lived the good life - Kathy’s friends always joke that we want to come back in the next life as her dog - but as much as Kathy loved her, Abby gave her all that and more in return. She was there and comforted Kathy through the deaths of good friends, and comforted her again when another friend up and moved away to upstate New York. Ahem. So. Rude. Kathy and Abby got through Hurricane Harvey together, and after it was over Abby happily returned to patrolling her backyard. Keeping it safe for democracy and all.

I’m so proud of Kathy for doing that hardest thing: loving Abby enough to let her go in her own time, when she was ready.

Abbylicious, there will never be another girl like you. I’m so glad you’re playing in the wildflowers with friends who’ve gone on before, I’m so glad you are strong again and that there is no pain where you are.  We will miss you beautiful girl, and we will do our best to take care of your Momma. She loved you beyond all measure. We were lucky to know you, and we will never forget you. 

Goodbye sweet girl, now run and go play. 🦋❤️🍃💐🌻