Toby

To my dear friend,

I cannot begin to tell you how much you are missed. While you may have been small in stature, your presence was larger than life. I remember Brian bringing you home and being introduced to me. You spent your first night with us laying on my lap all night, too afraid to move away from me. It was in those moments when you had my heart. As you grew, so did my love.

Your joyful spirit and willingness for adventure were infectious. One of my joys was taking you for a hike in the park. You were with me every step of the way, sometimes pulling me along. We got lost at one point, no fault of yours of course. But you were happy to continue until I was ready to rest. It's funny how you sometimes don't realize how much you care for someone until they are in need. Coming home and finding you sick one night, I panicked with fear. It was a long night in a hospital room, with you sitting on my lap for comfort. I prayed for God to heal you and take away your pain. Even as you got sick again a few weeks later, your love for us never changed. All you wanted to do, was sit next to us and be close. Even though it's hard to remember that time, I cherish it. While your health may have been failing your heart wasn't. You still loved us with your attention and comfort and presence. When you passed away that Saturday I felt great sorrow. I had lost a loved one. I miss you more now than I can ever imagine. I miss coming home and having you greet me at the door with excitement. I miss waking up and hearing your tags clink together. I miss seeing you lay next to Brian while we watched tv. I miss throwing the tennis ball and watching chase after it, then not returning it all the way to me. I miss watching you chew on bones, wondering how your teeth didn't break. So you know, you will never be forgotten. You will always be loved. I'm am sooo grateful for the short time we had together. I know that you are in heaven right now, patiently waiting, to greet me when I get home. I can't help but feel that some of your spirit has passed on to me. That someday when I'm tired or lost, like when we hiked, you'll be there to pull me along. Helping me out, until I'm ready to rest.