Emma

After Darcy died, I had a heart to heart with Emma.

"I know you're an old lady," I said. "But my heart can't handle another loss. Please give me a year."

She was almost completely deaf, but I think she me heard me. The year mark came and went. Emma was solid.

But also, I could see time catching up with her.

I knew wasn't one hundred percent the morning I left for Wisconsin, and I worried about leaving her. I snapped a picture of the two of us together and asked her to give me a week.

Seth sent lots of reports while I was away.

watching fireworks on the 4th of July

He said Emma was clappy as a ham. 

I wanted to believe him.

But in my heart of hearts, I knew she was giving me that week.

When I finally got home on Monday. Emma was alert and happy to see me. By the next morning, she was in crisis, and today we said goodbye.

Thank you, Emma, for giving me that year and also, that week. You were the best bad dog ever. It was a privilege to be your person.