Agility class at age 2 with Mary McHenry
Photo credit Mike McHenry

She could hardly stand up. Her hind legs splayed behind her. Trying to walk, she would periodically lose her balance and crash to the floor. Where our Kelly did agility training and used to jump onto the couch, she now avoided the steps and waited until I picked her up and placed her on it. Was it time to let her go?

I saw the pain in her beautiful, expressive brown eyes, the sadness. My heart hurt. I love this beautiful little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who brought joy back into my life after my first husband passed away.

Watching Kelly grow, playing with her, having her crawl under the covers with me on cold nights (how did she breathe?) and waking to her warm body against my leg gave me a renewed reason to get up in the mornings. Someone needed me. I laughed the morning I headed to my computer without feeding her first. She stood across the room from me, her ‘lips’ pulled back, making a chewing motion with her teeth. I got the message and fed her immediately. She hasn’t done that since!

I brought you a present!

She also brought me a gift once … dropped a little dead rat on the floor in front of me. “Thank you very much, Kelly,” I said, looking her in the eye. “I know you deserve praise for this; but I never want to see one of these again!” And she never brought me another.

So, with her pain and instability, Don and I watched closely. We increased her pain medication. Two days later we had been out for several hours. Kelly must have been on the porch when we entered the house. I went to the back corner restroom. Kelly came into the house, briefly greeted Don, then ran through the house … to find me. I heard running footsteps and knew it was my girl. Sure enough, red-haired Kells dashed into the bathroom to greet me. What a joy to see her run again. Yes, she’s getting old. And yes, she’s slowing down considerably. But I’ve again seen happiness in her eyes and she’s walking better again.

I’m grateful for this little furball of love that God brought into my life after Jerry’s death; for the joy she’s brought to both Don and me (along with her grandpup, Paige); and I’m glad it’s not yet time to let her go. Rather, I treasure every day I have with her.

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” James 1:17