THE GIFT

Of course your first impression of the word GIFT may be God’s grace, or Christmas or birthdays. However, this gift carries a little different connotation than those mentioned above. For the few followers of this blog, let me explain.

In 2005′ my better half received a call from an expectant daughter. It was not a pregnancy issue but more of an itch that could not be scratched.

” Mom, can you keep Kemper ( a four pound Maltese puppy ) for a few days? His constant yapping is stressing me out”. On the surface that did not sound like an unreasonable request.

We had met Kemper on a recent visit and was taken back at how cute he was. And yes, he was very energetic. How could this little ” ball of fur” be a problem? As I arrived home from a business trip my wife called me to the master bedroom. ” Come see our guest”. Sitting on a white duvet I would not have known there was a puppy on the bed other than his black nose and dark eyes. The manner in which he was sitting told me, ” This little bundle of fur acts as if he is king for a day, and he was.

That was almost nineteen years ago. Sadly, Kemper succumbed peacefully to old age a few days ago. During that time he brought us much joy ( and some stress ) but mostly joy. He was our four legged child. As emotional as his passing is, we did find comfort in a wonderful poem from our vet. Beloved pets go to a place called Rainbow Ridge. In short it is described as a heaven for pets. The only time the pets take a break from being happy is when they see the ones that cared for them and the reunion begins.

We have a lovely Momento of Kemper in a place we pass every day. There is always a kind greeting from eah of us. And on some days if you linger a few seconds and listen carefully you can hear Kemper Willie yapping saying, ” Hey guys, how about a little attention”? In the near future there will be a Kemper II, but Kemper Willie can never be replaced. He was an original and as they say, ” When he was born they broke the mold”.

Be safe