If I Had Only Known

Thursday night, February 3rd, we said goodbye to our friend Samson.  Some of you know him as the "little" brown dog.  He went out for another unsanctioned roam around the neighborhood and was hit by a car.  He served a great purpose in our lives and we are so blessed to have had him for the little time that we did.

Even after he was gone Samson was still contributing.  It was a pretty normal event for him to get fast food bags out of the trash.  He had a knack for not only eating the leftover fries (and sometimes ketchup packets), but for dessert he would shred the bag into several tiny pieces. I never understood it, but apparently it gave him pure joy because he did it ALL the time.  Several times before that I had been upset at him for it.  At that moment I just wished he was still there.

So I started cleaning up his last food bag shred-fest, and every time I would think I was done... another piece. Eventually I was laughing through the tears, because I realized even then he was helping me grow.  I've never been good at "stopping and smelling the roses". This made me promise to myself that I'm going to be much better about enjoying the blessings that are right in front of me.

This is not a "My dog died - Pity party" post.  Yes I miss him, but this is not just a status update.  I'm asking all of you to hold me accountable.  Help me remember what it's like to wish I had gone for one more walk, or thrown the ball one more time, or let him lick my face just a little more.  Because one day I want to be able to look back on my life and say I cherished everything as much as anyone could.

Samson,
Thank you for being part of our family.  You gave us so much comfort, joy, and laughter.  We are and will be better off because you were here.  We love you and miss you, and we will remember you always as a great friend, and a loyal protector.
Love,
The Long's