He was more than a dog.  He was my right hand man.  He was the son I never had.  He was my protector.  He followed me no matter what room I was in.  He was my vehicle and I was his.  He was my companion for 10 years.  He was there .... he was Willy.



Now the quiet - no more playing, no more barking when the phone rings twice, no more happiness when guests arrive, no more sleeping under the table by my feet, no more stepping up to see who was doing what through the window, no more playing with eyes - feet - then racing around and barking and repeating the whole thing - just to play.  No more hiding the yellow ball and squeeking and throwing it.  It was pure joy!



God gave Willie to me and God took Willie from me.  What am I supposed to do?  All I cana do is cry.  I hated for this day to come.  It happened so fast.  Three days.  New Year's Day he stopped eating and had blood in his uring.  He messed all over the rug.  I sat with him his last morning.  He looked so forlorn.  He knew his time was up.



When Paul came home, you never saw a more happy puppy.  He whined and barked because now there were two dads.  He so wanted to be the third party ... Two dads and a son.



When it came to the weekends, he would bend his head as if he couldn't believe it.  "Do you want to go for a ride?"  I hated for Paul to say it early because there was Willy running, yelping as he ran to the door and then to the badoom.  When I would get to the car, he yelped until I readied the pillow, his pillow, nestled in the front of my lap.  When the car stopped or did a left or right turn, Willy would peek up, as if saying "That's right".



His greatest joy was sleeping between us - that was Heaven.



All people, young and old, we heard them say "May I pet him?"



That's my Willy.



Ten years of nothing but job, but now there is nothing to look at but his things in an Indivan basket - along with part of my heart - January 4, 2008 - 12:30 P.M.



That's my Willy............