We laid to rest our faithful friend of 14 years on Thursday, December 27. Skylar has been part of us for just about as long as we have been us. Ben and I started dating at Mississippi State in 1997. And in 1998, Skylar was a mere "lab-rat" (black lab/rat terrier mix) pup who was rescued from the pound in Starkville, MS, by Ben and his college roommate. I always liked to remind Ben that he had two Mississippi girls on his hands!
I could fill up this blog with story after story of Skylar's mishaps, mischief, and messes, but the reason my heart is so heavy right now, and tears continue to fill my eyes, is that she was so much more than just a misadventurous mutt. She was part of our family--the heartbeat at our feet. The sunshine at the end of a long work day. The comfort cuddler on a sad day. The slimey licker for no reason at all. She was "the baby" for many years before Whitney came along. And when Whitney arrived, and our focus and energies shifted, Skylar graciously knew her place and has been at Whitney's side for the last four years.
Nothing pained Ben and I more than to answer the first "Where's Sissy?" from our 4-year-old's mouth and then to watch the tears flow as she tried to understand that Sissy was now in heaven and couldn't physically be with us anymore. We have still been talking to, and about, Skylar, though. We figure that she's probably keeping things in heaven pretty stirred up with her energy...and snacking on an endless supply of dog biscuits (her favorite). That seems to help Whitney, although she continues to tell us how much she misses Skylar. And we do, too.
Skylar's health had been wavering more in recent weeks and, after a significant decline over Christmas, we knew it was time. It was as if Skylar knew, too. She was always an excellent communicator. Ben and I were with her, loving her and crying together, until the very end. We are relieved that she isn't suffering anymore, but miss her terribly. There is something that reminds me of Skylar in every room of the house. I constantly think I hear her barking or need to let her out. And I wait to see her tail wagging to greet me when I walk in the back door. Skylar was so much a part of our daily routine and family joy. But now we remember and cherish all of the special and funny memories we had with her.
As we buried Skylar at dusk in several inches of snow under her favorite tree in our backyard, Ben (still choking back a few more tears) said, "She was a pretty good dog for twenty-five dollars." "A pretty great dog," I replied. And although Skylar has more than made up for that modest $25 adoption fee in vet bills over the years, she was worth every penny.
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