Serenity, you became our daughter because Mom wanted a puppy and we knew that your sister/mother Ginger needed someone to help keep her active. I remember seeing the ad in the newspaper and making sure that I pointed it out to Dad more than once. I told him that if he loved me, he would get me a puppy for my birthday. Dad thought that he was going to surprise me with you, but the whole time I knew he was going to get you for me. The only thing that I did not know was that he went to see you before he brought you home and picked you out. I remember coming home from work one night and there was Dad sitting in the kitchen holding you on his lap. The very first thing that I noticed was how big your paws were and I knew that you would grow to be a very big girl. Dad thought that I didnt want you at first but I explained to him that your paws were just so big and I knew what that meant. Like always, Dad never even noticed this. At first I could not decide on a name for you because I did not want you to have a name like other dogs. After getting to know you and because you were so very hyper I decided that I would name you Serenity.
Ginger was not sure that she really wanted you around at first but that soon changed. I remember the first time Dad and I left you home alone and had put you in the bathroom with the baby gate. When we came home that night there you were sitting on top of your sister in the living room. You and your sister became inseparable and certainly were miserable without the other. Ill never forget when you went to Uncle Petes alone for the first time and Ginger stayed home with Dad and me. Ginger just moped around although you loved being with your Uncle you missed your sister. I remember the one night that Dad had taken a steak out for dinner and put it in the sink to defrost. Dad called me outside to help him with something and when we got back in the house Dad was going crazy looking for the steak and asked me what I did with it. We looked all around and could not find it. Dad then noticed the blood trail on the floor and followed it into the living room where he found you and Ginger chomping away on that 2 lb. steak. Dad was so mad and then we figured out that you had jumped up on the kitchen chair and reached into the sink to get the steak and then were kind enough to share it with Ginger. Dad could not believe that you did that especially since you were only a few months old at the time. I guess that that should have been our first clue how smart you really were.
I remember taking you to obedience classes and although you would gladly do what Mom taught you for Mom you showed little interest in doing those things for others. Dad was convinced that you were not that smart. He showed up at your graduation and could not believe that the only thing you really were interested in showing anyone you could do was the hug the way Mom had taught you to do at home. You were really good at hugging and loved to do that to just about anyone. You were too interested in making sure you knew everything else that was going on around you. Then one day you decided on your own that you would do these things and you began to show Dad just how smart you really were. You seemed to understand everything we would say to you. You knew what it meant when we asked you to go get your sister and you happily ran and nudged her to get up and come. You and your sister both knew that when Dad got home from work he had his routine where he would spend a few minutes with you and then sit in the kitchen and get his lunch ready for the next day. You seemed to have the timing down beautifully. You both knew when you heard him open the cold cut wrappers so you would appear and patiently wait for him to give you a piece of his cheese.
You both loved to go for rides and would get so excited when we asked if you wanted to go for a ride, go to see grandma or go to see Uncle Pete. You were my constant companions. You loved it every Friday when we would go to the different banks to do our banking and you made sure that you came across the seat and stood on my lap with your head out the window so that the teller would be sure to see you and send treats for you and your sister. Then if I had to get out of the car, you would get out of you would move into my seat and sit behind the steering wheel like you were ready to drive until I came back to the car and told you to move over and then you would move back to your favorite spot in the passenger seat. You did not like it when Dad would be in the truck with us because then either he or I were sitting in your seat and you really wanted to be there. You learned to push the button to make the window go down so that you could put your head out the window. You loved to have the window blowing in your face. You seemed to know when we were getting close to our destination because you could be laying down and when we were near our final destination, you would pop up and you would look all around and begin to get excited because you knew where you were.
There are just so many things that we miss about you. You used to wait until Dad and I were ready to sit down to dinner or just before bed and then you decided it was time for you to play with your toys. Boy did you love your toys, you just could not get enough of them and no matter how many you had, and you played with all of them. If I moved the toys from one room to another or was just picking them up because you had so many of them all over the place, you always watched me to make sure that I was not getting rid of them and that I was putting them where you could see them. You really seemed to love that one ball that made noises when you would drop it on the floor.
You were truly amazing. You only ever barked if there was someone near our house or if you heard a delivery truck you made sure to alert me because if it was Keith, our UPS driver, you wanted to make sure that you were there to greet him so you did not miss out on the treats he always had for you and your sister. I remember the few times that I walked out of a room and closed the door behind me not realizing that you were there. I should have known better because you were like my shadow, it seemed if I went somewhere in the house you were right there by my side. Even though I had closed you in a room by yourself, you never barked or did anything to let me know that you were stuck. You just patiently waited for me to realize the mistake I had made and you were always so very quick to forgive me for my oversight. You learned to go and stand by the kitchen door when you wanted to go out to go to the bathroom, but again you never ever barked. When you were done and I was not there to open the door for you right away you just patiently sat on the stoop surveying the property and waited for me to come and let you back in. If Ginger was outside with you she would be the one to bark to let me know that she was done and ready to come in. We were not ever supposed to make the Queen of the house wait.
You were a very good little sister to Ginger, although there were plenty of times when you would step right on top of her, you always looked out for her and would wait for her until she was ready to come in. You loved to give her kisses and just to lie beside her. There is no mistaking that although you were sisters in name only, you certainly felt very connected to her and had a lot of love for her. I am especially proud of the way you took care of her.
Somehow you always seemed to know what time it was. You seemed to know when it was just about the time that Dad should be walking in the door after work and began to run back and forth between the doors and checking to see if you heard him. As you got older you would wait in our bedroom on the bed until it was about that time and then you would come into my office and nudge me as if you were saying Mom, hurry Dad should be coming home soon and I have to be by the door waiting for him. Please open the door for me so that I can see him right away. Then when Dad got home, he would always go to the kitchen and put his lunch bag down on the table and then go into the bedroom where you would jump up on the bed so that you could give him a hug or two and then lick his bald head while he was giving Ginger some attention. Then once you had enough of the loving and attention the two of you would sit patiently in the bedroom until Dad called Who wants a piece of cheese? and the two of you would go into the kitchen and get your treats. And if Dad forgot to give you a treat, you knew where they were and would go and sit by his side and look at the treat jar and then look at Dad and keep alternating between the two until Dad caught on. We both knew Dad was not as quick as you, but that is our little secret.
The things that I absolute miss the most our all the times we cuddled on the bed and you would lay your paw across my shoulder just to be sure that I was not leaving you and then you would put your head on the pillow and go to sleep. You especially loved it when Dad would lie down and he would put his arm around you and doze off although there were plenty of times when we had difficulty falling asleep because of your snoring. Then when it was nearing bed time and you were tired you usually came into my office and would give me that look to say, okay Mom, its late and I am tired, lets go to bed. But even then, you would not lay down on your bed to go to sleep until I was in the room with you. Only then, would you lay down put your head on your pillow and wait for me to cover you with your blanket before I said good night to you. You usually stayed there with the blanket on you until you woke up in the morning and then the first thing you would do was nudge my hand to say Mom Are you up? Your sister on the other hand would never keep her blanket on her.
We miss you so very much our sweet darling, you and your sister brought much joy and happiness to your father and I and we thank you for that. Please just wait patiently for us and take care of Ginger, we will be together again one day. I promise.
Love,
Mom and Dad