Roxy--Memories of a Loyal Friend

Queen Roxy

Roxie had a good life. She lived in the city while in Texas and the mountains of Colorado—the best of both worlds. She lived in apartments in Lubbock, condos in Boulder and the family home in Fort Worth. She even got to go to “camp” when we were out of town. She had two doting sisters—Margaret and Lynn, but Roxie pretty much ruled the roost.

Roxy was often stuck with me, so we forged a strong bond. Being an “alpha” dog she began to think that she was the master and I was the slave, since I was always there to feed her, walk her and let her in and out at her every whim. I was all right playing that part.

As the girls grew up and left home, Roxy remained in the family residence except for brief visits to Texas Tech and Houston. On one visit to see Margaret in Houston, our precious sweet little innocent dog discovered a basket of Valentines Day candy and ate the whole thing. Well, everyone knows that a dog can die if they eat chocolate, never mind the plastic and foil wrappers. My thought was if she was stupid enough to eat it, she might just have to die. In her cage that night I could hear her stomach rumbling and churning and then out it all came, wrappers and all. I think the dog had an iron stomach because this was only one of many unusual things that she ate and yet survived.

Roxy was also a runner. She would chase after all cats, squirrels and other critters that entered her territory. She loved a good race with other dogs as well, so that she could prove dominance over her competitors. In fact, she never really liked other dogs because she always thought she was bigger, stronger and fiercer. She was known to chase deer and elk and even a skunk, who won that battle with one squirt. (Yuck!) She longed to be free and roam the wild.

When Roxy and I would go on walks, it was a most unusual sight. She never learned to heel, but would constantly pull me along. (It did kind of help me out when we were going uphill!) People would stop and make comments like, “Who is walking who?”

Not only did she have a good life, we had a good life with her through the good and the bad. Roxy was loyal, faithful and loving. Thanks Roxy for the unforgettable memories. If the recollections of a dog can be so precious, shouldn’t the memories of people be even more valuable to us.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.

Be sure to read tomorrow's blog to hear about the family's farewell to our beloved pet.

http://www.hearthope.org/