Goodbye My Friend

I am packing my car, ready to head back to Missouri. One less passenger will be coming home with me. Thousands of miles we have traveled together and today I leave my Kayleigh behind.

It's getting tougher the more I put in the car as her grave is just a couple hundred feet from the driveway. I have walked over there many times today still in disbelief this powerful, strong, and energetic friend was foolishly taken from me.

My buddy Mike promised me he will care for her grave, and his great girlfriend Anna plans to grow flowers where the dirt covers her lifeless body.

It's going to be along ride home today. I won't have to stop to walk her, something that sometimes was frustrating as she would always be so picky about where she wanted to leave her mess. It could take upwards of several minutes to find what she was looking for. I never figured it out. On cold days, she always went quickly.

I hope in the miles that pass today, they are therapeutic as I leave my friend behind to rest. I hope I find closure in her death, which needn't happen. She didn't deserve a bullet, no dog does.

So as I drive off, a final goodbye until I return one day to visit with perhaps the best friend anyone could ask for and that is my best friend since college, Mike Stotlemyre. We sat on the front porch last night reflecting on life and how much our four-legged friends make our lives better as we drank Killians. He understood where I was, as a few years ago, he lost his little girl suddenly and tragically, as she was hit by a car. Hit other dog, Peanut came back to the house, barking--demanding his attention--trying to get Mike to give her comfort.

Pets touch our lives far beyond what we realize until they are gone. Thank you for letting me share with you this past week my feelings for my pretty girl, Kayleigh, and letting me grieve over her loss.