Charlie was a good dog. A bit of a spaz that liked to attempt to keep my kids in their place, but nonetheless a good creature. I was on the phone to my mom when the call from the vet came in. "I'll call you later" she said and hung up. I called back 10 minutes later, knowing that if everything was OK or potentially OK she would have already called me back. She didn't want me around, but she also didn't realize that I would grieve for Charlie too, or that my husband and kids would grieve him too.

Anyway, you don't know how much it means that you and your dad helped Charlie's final moments be peaceful. If you hadn't shown up when you did, I hate to think how he would have left this world.

xo