She didn’t start out life as loving as she grew to be by the end. That’s one big reason I named her “Angel”. I remember thinking at the time that maybe the name would wear off on her a little, and it did! Of course, her beautiful white coat was the other reason.

She was a treasured gift from my youngest child, my daughter.

Amy and Angel (and her canine mom, Cricket) flew here together when Angel was just a few weeks old. It was Angel’s first of many plane rides. Angel’s parents, Cricket and Ewok, had moved to Washington state with Amy when she left home.

Being an “empty nester” had given me an unexpected feeling of loneliness. Fortunately, when Angel arrived she did an excellent job of filling that void just by allowing me the pleasure of being her new caretaker and companion.

But, it wasn’t easy to bond with her in the beginning. She was headstrong and opinionated. Although she never lost her independent nature, we did manage to build a very special bond and friendship together. I actually think she mellowed with age, like I know I have.

Angel was taken from me unexpectedly in a tragic event a few days ago. We only had 4 and a half short years together, but losing her in such a way has been devastating for me. I’ve run the gamut of blaming myself for not protecting her better to wishing we had been somewhere else that sad day. But I know she deserves better than me feeling guilty and sad. She deserves for me to celebrate her life and the sweet memories we made together.

We traveled extensively, by car and by plane. She was a tremendous companion and always adapted easily to new places and situations. And she loved meeting new people, like most dogs do.

Thank you, my sweet Angel baby, for the adventures we shared. You never complained when I worked too much or when I was depressed about something. Your love and companionship was more of a blessing in my life than mere words can ever express. Thank you for everything you taught me about unconditional love and how to appreciate canine companionship on a deeper level than I had ever experienced before.

I sincerely hope we meet up again someday so we can hug and run and play and laugh together once more.