Sugar

Sugar died today.

I'm remembering the day she was born in my closet. The last of 6 puppies. We had so much excitement that day and for the days that followed.

When my husband entered the ministry, we weren't sure what was going to happen to her and her brother. John gave her to me for my birthday just before we moved to his first charge in the church. Dad took the boy dog and named him Sam.

What a great time we had with her. She was so funny. She liked to sing "Happy Birthday" with us. She liked to run through the house like a mad animal. She always looked happy.

Then John died.

She was so angry with me the night I took him to the hospital. She wouldn't let the doctor and guys from the squad into the house and I put her in our room. She peed on my side of the bed! She would stand and look out the dining room window at the garage door and cry, waiting for him to open the door.

When the family was packing my house for me to come back home, my granddaughter was only 17 months old. She sat on the front porch and fed Sugar cheese. She would take a bite - and the dog would take a bite. It was a beautiful picture - such devotion on Sugar's face - knowing that she was going to have another piece of cheese. She loved cheese. She gave it all back to me about 20 minutes into the trip over the mountains on the way to Elkins. My car smelled so bad!

Today we went to the vet. She was blind, couldn't hear, wasn't eating, wasn't walking well - we think she had a stroke because her right back leg wasn't supporting her.

Sugar died today.