Will always be in my heart

My first baby.

Before Abby. Before Thomas. Heck (no pun intended), even before Brian.

There was my first dog.

My Booker.

It was only me & him for several years.

As many of you who are pet owners know & understand... he was my go-to, always-there-for-me, undeniably loyal friend.

Booker went everywhere with me -

Soccer practice... oh did he love the wide open fields;

Road trips... whether he was the "navigator" in the front seat or asleep in the back;

Shopping... he would wait so patiently in the car be it 10 minutes or 2 hours;

Running... he would pull me the first mile and then just coast next to me the rest of the way!

But there is no doubt that Booker was a lazy puppy dog and loved to snuggle.
He was the sweetest, gentlest giant I ever knew.
... and the silliest.

Brian & I had to put Booker to rest in September 2007, just months after Thomas was born due to cancer in the brain. He was just 6 years old. Since that time, his remains have continued to be a permanent fixture in a conservative "doggy" container on my dresser so that I can see him everyday.

That is until now.

Our good friends Kim & Jeff, who have long been dog owner themselves & lost many of their four-legged beloved ones, gave us a memory box for Booker.

Already decorated with favorite pictures, it was one of the most thoughtful and loved-filled gifts we have ever received. For that... thank you Kim & Jeff for knowing how special Booker is to us.

Today, as the kids took their afternoon nap, Brian & I had a few moments to ourselves where we silently opened the container and transferred Booker's remains to the memory box. Holding hands & each other, we placed a few special things in the box and then permanently closed it for the last time.

I'm still brought to tears & speechless when I think of Booker and that September day.

My hopes now are that I can have this beautiful memory box displayed and our children (who constantly see Booker's pictures) will continue to know & think of him as theirs, just like Brian & I will always do.