Valentine’s Day, 2024

Love,

I received your message today that you gave to Ed to give to me. I’m happy Heaven is wonderful. I knew it would be. I hoped you would love it there. I know you miss me, and I miss you, but I don’t want you to wait for me. I will come find you one day.

Thank you for telling me you feel safe in Heaven. I hope you are having the best time there and are making lots of doggy friends. Don’t try to eat any of the other animals there, especially the turtles. They are all your friends now.

I still remember the turtle incident very well. Your resource guarding caused issues at time, but none more than when you were walking and found a turtle and would not give it up. I don’t think there were high enough value treats to get you to give it up. And then you decided you wanted to eat the turtle. Poor Mr. Turtle. We were finally able to get the turtle away from you, but then we had to take you to the ER because we didn’t know if chomping on a turtle was going to hurt you. And because you hated going to the vet so much, it made taking you to the ER even more difficult. But we managed to get through it and you were ok. There were so many times you scared us with the things you would find on your walks. People throw out the grossest things and you would be sure to find them. You never really liked the “leave it” cue. You would smell the strangest things and lead us on a chase to find it. But I always loved your mischievous side. I may not have let you know that, but it gave me great pleasure to let you explore and sniff. Lili is still the sniffy queen, but you liked to find things.

Do you get to have chocolate in Heaven? I know you never got to eat it with me, it’s probably the one thing I said no to, but it’s delicious and if they give you Belgian chocolate, it’s some of the yummiest chocolate you will ever eat.

I love you and miss you,

Woman