Favorite Child

My two children have said for the last 14 years that my favorite child was "Sugar." Sugar was a toy white poodle that has been the love of my heart for the past 14 years. I had to let her go to pet heaven a month ago. My human children gave her to me as a Mother's Day gift...well at least a gift certificate for her. I did not want another dog. I had just lost a wonderful Basset Hound and was still grieving the loss of her. One day I saw an add for these poodles in Attalla and Melody and I drove up there and chose her out of about 9 puppies at a puppy mill! She was so tiny, the runt of the litter, and only 5 weeks old. She attached to me immediately. She was "there" for me through so many major parts of my life. She was with me when both of my parents died, when both of my children graduated HS then college, divorce, marriage of both children, birth of grandchild, retirement. When I almost died in 2001, Sugar was written in on my chart as a visitor to the hospital. My kids brought her up to my room and she lay in the bed with me. Otherwise, she had to live alone in our house for 33 days, during Christmas and New Year. You see, she has been through a lot with me. She could get everyone laughing with her singing to our song...Sugar Boogar." Melody taught her to pray with her little paws, so I know she was a Christian and I will see her again. She went camping with me and even went to school once a year to show my class how to care for pets. She also was a therapy dog occasionally. So you see, she was special to me. It took both of my children to help me lay her to rest near the garden pond in my yard. I still tear up and will always love her. She was my Sugar Boogar.