Sweet Dexter,

Sexydexy, you were the best dog I have ever had. From the moment I looked in your perfect, sweet face, I was in love. I am so sorry that your life ended so suddenly and that you were so young. Two years of physical therapy and acupuncture for a muscle tear and you died in pain from a ruptured tumor your routine blood tests couldn’t even detect. It makes my heart hurt.

I think about you every day, and I have cried every single day for a month and a half. Celebrating Christmas and the New Year without you has been incredibly difficult, and I cannot believe I will never hold your furry little face in my hands, and nibble your big nose ever again.

I am so sad without you in my life. You taught me so much - how to care for another life, responsibility, and what unconditional love feels like. Because of you I finally feel like I am ready to be a mom, and I can’t believe you won’t be here with us when we raise our children. I thought I had so much more time with you - seven years was simply not enough.

Mollie misses you too - you were a great big brother to her and such a great influence for a young rescue dog. Your dad never had a dog before you (but we were a package deal!) and I never saw him cry until the day you left us. An ex-boyfriend of my sister’s even reached out to tell me how great of a dog you were, and that you understood human emotions more than any other dog he ever met. He says you made him want a Wheaten Terrier someday. I hope you know your whole family - your grandparents and all of my siblings - were with you when you left. I never let go of your little paw.

Your nose and paw prints are on our wall, and your #normansgang dog tag #288 is in a shadow box by your ashes.

I love you so much, I miss you more than I can ever say, and I wish you were still here with me. I hope you are running wild and free over the rainbow bridge and that I’ll get to hold you again one day, my baby man, baby dog, and best friend.

Missing You,

Mommy