Willaby's Loved Too
Willaby was a big pouncy dog with a long-wet dripping tongue that hung about five
inches long. Mom told me to keep him out
of the formal living room where all her valuable gifts from dad were. My dad had died but my mother kept everything
he ever gave her.
Willaby was my best friend. He made my life an
adventure. He would let me dress him up
as a pirate. He would let me dress him
up as a clown. He let me ride on his
back like a horse. He was everywhere I
was. We could communicate with each
other; we knew each other so well. He
couldn’t talk people talk but I could still understand him.
One
day my mom needed to take a trip to the store.
I was doing my homework and my older sister was nearby if I needed any
help. Willaby laid down right beside me
and would look up at me with those big, let’s play, eyes. “Not right now Willaby, I said. I have to get my math done, just a few more
problems.”
Willaby was normally a very well-behaved dog, but he was restless and started running
around the house. “What’s wrong Willaby?” He was wining and biting at his tale. He took off fast from room to room as though
he was running from something. My sister
Teresa, shocked, asked, What’s wrong with Willaby?” He’s lost his mind.” Then it happened, a nightmare, He ran into
the formal living room and broke one of my mother’s most loved dolls. Then he broke a vase that my great grandmother
gave my mother when Dad and Mom got married.
My sister started bawling, “Moms going to be so upset! Dumb Dog!” She knelt down to pick up all the broken
pieces. “This was the one dad got her on
their twenty-third wedding anniversary.”
“I miss him so much!” She
wept. I do too, sis, how are we going to
tell mom?”
I
don’t know my sister sobbed”. I was
crying too and I really did not want to tell mom.
I ran
to my room and found an empty shoebox.
We gathered all the broken pieces and put them in the box. We sat it on the counter, In our
kitchen. “Now what?’ I asked.
My sister said, “Let’s pray.” “I’m afraid to tell mom.” “I know,” I said, she just got back to
normal.” So, we prayed and just sat
there with our tears flowing down our cheeks waiting for mom to walk in the
door.
We
could hear the car pull into the garage.
We could hear our mothers’ keys at the door. I ran to the door to help her with the groceries.
Teresa and Willaby both were there too and
Willaby licked her right on the face. “Hi
Guys, “ “ Thanks for the kiss Willaby, she said as she patted him on the head
and wiped the wetness from her
face. “How are all my sweethearts today?”
She asked with a smile.
“We
feel sad mom,” I said. “What’s wrong? Are you Okay? Did something
happen?”. “ It’s kind of hard to tell
you mom.” said my sister Teresa. “You
tell her Tom.” My sister whispered. “Mom, I’m just going to say it. Willaby was going crazy and ran all over the
house and charged into the formal living room.
He clumsily knocked over your things and they are broken now. “Oh no!” but are you okay and Willaby is he
okay?" “They were the things that dad and
grandma gave you mom.” "We are fine Mom.” "We are concerned about you." She opened the box and looked in at her broken
treasures.
My
mom started weeping and said something I will never forget. She was holding the box in her hand and said, “ Nothing, in this world is as precious to me as you both and Willaby. I know these gifts were from people I love. It’s been a while ago since your dad died. I can’t take any of these things to heaven
with me. Heaven is forever. I have
discovered what is more important in life.
You are and I love you more than anything I own. Even Willaby is more important to me than
anything I have.
I
just want to be sure that when this life is done for me. It would be to know it won’t mean goodbye.
It’s
not a goodbye for me and your dad. I will
see him again and we will hug and hold hands.
I will talk to him again and enjoy his smile. I want you both to know Jesus. Teresa, I want you to get saved.
I
would give up all the precious gifts I have, to know that you know Jesus and
love him. I may live many more years yet
but I want to know when I do that it’s not goodbye. Praise God, I will see your dad again, will
you.? I love you and I have the joy of
Jesus even though I miss your dad. God’s
joy for us is unspeakable in that we can know his presence through our tears. Psalms 30:5
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. We have a joy that can only can be found in Jesus
and our relationship with him. Trusting
him through our sorrows and also through our laughter.
You and Christ are the most important things to me.
"We love you, mom! forever." "I love you too. mom hugged us" We love you too Willoby! Rough! Rough! "Let’s go play in the leaves!" Mom squealed. "Yes!"" Willaby will love that!" My sister cheered.
"Me too!" and Willably was a very happy dog.
Susan
Y Nikitenko© Oct. 2021
Dedicated to a precious friend in heaven today. I know I'll see you again.
I will give you a hug. Love you always.
