Penny “Bean” “Peanut” “Menace” Meishu Rodewald crossed the rainbow bridge on June 26th surrounded by her whole family, including those who could only be present on FaceTime. Tragically, she passed from an enlarged heart. Her heart was too big for this world because of the volume of love and loyalty it contained for us, her family. She loved her family so fiercely that she would guard our belongings and couch just because it had our scent on it. She was our protector from plastic bags floating in the wind, the neighborhood dogs, rabbits, squirrels, deer, turkeys, cranes and more.
Penny tumbled into our lives as we were recovering from jet lag after a trip to Germany. George and Linda promised their daughters that they could get a Guinea pig if we behaved on the trip home. In a turn of events, we returned home with a puppy instead of a Guinea pig. From the second she looked into our eyes and sat calmly in our arms, we knew we couldn’t leave without her. We picked her name Penny because she had the prettiest brindle black-brown fur, was as tiny as a penny, and “cost a pretty penny” as our mom said. Our dad declared on the drive home she could not sleep in the house, and so she slept in the four seasons room on her first night. That did not last long as Penny spent the majority of her life sleeping in her parents’ bed, a place she felt was of high honor. She loved sleeping under the covers by her parents' feet and poking her head out from under the comforter in the mornings.
As a puppy, and for most of her life, she was extremely energetic. Walk was her favorite word and activity. Her nightly zoomies lit up our evenings and her playful spirit always kept us on our toes that she liked to nip. Her favorite toys were her Skunky, Dragon, Foxy, Turkey, and her beloved Bunny which she beheaded. She was the best vacuum cleaner for any food that was dropped accidentally or purposefully. She loved treats and doing tricks such as: down, wait, sit, her family’s favorite- “circus” (where she sat on her hind legs with her paws in the air), up up, and dance dance.
Every morning she watched her sisters from the bottom of the stairs and greeted them. Her sisters told her they loved her every day and always will. Until her very last day, Penny always enjoyed bathing in the sun and relaxing. Penny was the master at finding sunny patches in the house and curling up for a nap like a little snail. More than anything, Penny loved to sit on someone’s lap, especially her mom’s lap. Being with her people is what made Penny truly happy.
Penny taught our family about the meaning of forgiveness and unconditional love; that the love of family always forgives and always loves. Penny taught us to take it slow, relax and feel the warmth of the sun. She taught us to take a walk, and to always stay playful and fun. She taught us to find joy in everyday things because Penny danced with joy before getting the same dinner almost every day. She warmed our lives with her cuddles and brightened our days with her spunky personality and gremlin ears.
Penny is survived by her parents, Linda & George, sisters Leah, Ella and Mara, brother-in-law, Alex, and doggy niece, Yahtzee. Penny will be forever loved & missed.