Our Beloved Ashton

You came into my life at the wee age of 5 weeks old.  The Georgia breeder handed you over prior to a proper weaning from your mother, so I did what any person would do who falls madly head-over-heels in love with a bundle of fur weighing no more than a sack of sugar, I bottle fed you, carried you in my coat pocket everywhere I went, and held you right by my side morning, noon, and night.  We were inseparable. 

I should have known you were extra special since you entered my world on Valentine's Day 1997.  The same day, I met the love of my life.  We always joke that if it were not for you, and your cupid arrow, then we may not have become happily ever after.  It didn't take long for you to snag his heart, and the moment I realized he adored you and never blinked a 'macho' eye when being pulled around by your leash, my heart became his too ~ truly a package deal. 

We were a great team.  Traveling around the world with you right by our sides.  Oh how you loved the gelato in Florence, the warm croissants in Paris, the white sands of Carmel, the warm breezes in Laguna, the Adirondack chairs in Tahoe, the stone hearth of a crackling Georgia fireplace, the golf cart rides in Florida, and your fluffy pillow spot at home in Sausalito.  Rarely were you ever left behind, and when you were, we fretted over how long we were apart despite the fact we only left you in the very best care of friends and family.  You were a very important part of our little family.

You have always been pure goodness, and you continued to prove this when the crumb made us a party of four.  I think you planned your hearing loss around her 6-week-old mark because you were always that wise and preferred a quiet, peaceful home.  We were never able to train you {remember, you were a puppy school drop-out}, but you trained us. 

These past 14 years went by too quickly.  You were never suppose to grow old, and I held onto you for as long as I possibly could.  Today, when I wrapped you up in your favorite blanket {warm from the dryer just like you always liked it}, I hope this was one of your fondest last memories of how much you were loved, how much warmth you brought to our lives, and how your memory will always be entangled in our hearts.

I already miss you so much.  My heart is shattered into a million pieces.  If only I could have your sweet head sleeping on my arm throughout the night, or hear your soft rumbling snore, watch you snatch a dangling piece of bread from the crumb's hand, or see you bask heavenly in a warm, sun-filled spot...if only I could just have you back.  

We have loved you so much, for so many years, and it breaks our hearts to let you go.  Good-bye my sweet girl, you were the best in every way.