Dear CHARLIE,

SINCE 1937 I’VE HAD SOME GREAT GERMAN SHEPHERD DOGS BUT YOU, MY CHARLIE BOY, HAVE A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART.

IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WERE ONLY WITH US FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS BUT IN THAT SHORT TIME. YOU MADE OUR HOME A HAPPIER PLACE BY FAR.

YOU AND I QUICKLY BONDED AND YOU RARELY LEFT MY SIDE. IF I DID LEAVE YOU AT HOME FOR SOME REASON I RECALL YOUR MOM TELLING ME HOW YOU’D SIT BY THE DOOR CRYING UNTIL I CAME HOME. NOW WHEN I OPEN THE DOOR I HAVE TO STEAL MY SELF BECAUSE SADLY I KNOW YOU WILL NOT BE THERE TO GREET ME.

IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT I FINALLY GOT TO MEET MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS. DURING OUR LONG WALKS, YOU BEING SUCH A SOCIAL FELLOW, WOULD WANT TO STOP AND SAY HELLO TO EVERYONE WE MET ALONG THE WAY. I EVEN REMEMBER PEOPLE STOPPING THEIR CARS AND COMMENTING OUT THE OPEN WINDOWS ABOUT WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BOY YOU WERE. YOUR MANY FRIENDS AND ADMIRERS LIKE GINA, FAYE, ZOE, OTTO AND ESPECIALLY BIG BUSTER PLUS ALL OF THEIR PARENTS ARE GOING TO MISS YOUR VISITS.

TO THIS DAY PEOPLE STOP AND SAY “HELLO CHARLIE’S DAD. WHERE’S CHARLIE?” AND EVERYONE IS SADDENED TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER WITH US.

MOM AND I ALWAYS LOOKED FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR SMILING FACE WHEN WE GOT UP EACH MORNING BECAUSE YOUR PRESENCE MADE OUR DAY A BETTER ONE.

I’M GOING TO MISS OUR GAMES OF FETCH THE BALL ESPECIALLY THE GAMES WHERE YOU’D, INTENTIONALLY, ROLL THE BALL UNDER THE COUCH OR A CABINET AND THEN COME AND GET ME TO RETRIEVE IT. YOU WOULD LEAD ME INTO THE ROOM AND POINT TOWARDS THE BALL WITH YOUR NOSE. I WOULD HAVE TO GET DOWN ON MY HANDS AND KNEES WITH YOU, CROUCHING BESIDE ME, URGING ME ON. I’D DIG THE BALL OUT AND GIVE IT TO YOU WHILE STERNLY SAYING, “NOW DON’T DO THAT AGAIN.” IT DIDN’T TAKE ME LONG TO REALIZE IT WAS A TRICK YOU WERE PLAYING ON ME BECAUSE AS SOON AS I’D TURN MY BACK YOU’D ROLL THE BALL UNDER THE FURNITURE AGAIN AND THE GAME WOULD CONTINUE UNTIL ONE OF US GOT TIRED. GUESS WHICH ONE.

I’M ALSO GOING TO MISS THE TIMES WHEN YOU’D SNEAK UP ON THE COUCH AND SNUGGLE UP TO ME ( DON’T YOU WORRY, I WON’T TELL MOM )

I DON’T THINK THERE WAS A DAY WHEN, IN THOSE THREE AND A HALF YEARS, WE DIDN’T SPEND SOME REAL QUALITY TIME TOGETHER AND I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. I HOPE YOU DID AS WELL.

I MISS YOU SO MUCH MY CHARLIE BOY,

YOUR LOVING DAD, GLENN

Love,

Your loving dad, Glenn