Yesterday, we said goodbye to a family member. I only write this now because she is so deserving to be spoken about. Long before a husband and a child, there was Lucy True… there by my side through dark and light moments of the last ten years.

If love could have kept her healthy, she would have lived forever.

I recently bought a necklace which reads “The Journey is the Reward.” The leg of my journey that Lucy joined me for… well, perhaps it was no wonder the girl was tired and aching and ready for her final rest.

Together, we journeyed through…
dog training
two dog attacks
Arizona to Tennessee
Tennessee to Mississippi
Missippi back to Arizona
at least 5,000 hour-plus road trips
5 trips across the bottom half of the country
5am walks in Phoenix and surviving summer heat
the Cumberland Gap and swimming holes
the Smokies
the waters of the Gulf Coast
the pine forests of northern Arizona
two work layoffs
new family members
one pregnancy
one baby
one toddler
one joyful boy who has learned to be gentle and responsible for a furry loved one, thanks to Lucy

We hold on to so many good memories of our girl…
Her love for retrieving tennis balls
Her love of swimming
Her acceptance of the mailman and FedEx but not UPS
A ferocious bark in such a gentle dog which made us feel so protected
The way she leaned against us
Her sweet brown eyes
Her soft fur which slightly smelled of french toast with syrup
Her love of the open window in a car going anywhere
Her unfailing loyalty to us
Her love

No longer by our side… forever in our hearts.

I will miss you, my sweet girl.