My Tribute to "Lola"

I believe in The Christmas Miracle; I also believe in the Rainbow Bridge, though until earlier this year, I didn’t have cause to think much of it … You see for many many years, I was enormously blessed with the Beautiful love & companionship of my most precious gift , My girl “Lola”. “Lola “ I suppose , was like many golden retrievers, regal & elegant with her gorgeous thick ,wavy, amber-red coat, and that classic forehead “peak”, And her beautiful brown , sparkling (and always adoring) eyes captured me from the very first day I held her in my lap as a puppy, when we drove home in my jeep from her mothers care. That day, I didn’t, & couldn’t have possibly known the years of overwhelming joy I would receive from the grace of her presence. Her personality was contagious: everyone who came in contact with Lola always noticed how personable & intuitive she was.She was drawn to children & the sounds of their voices & laughter , in an almost maternal , nurturing way. She would make me laugh uncontrollably when she would ad –lib, & do her little rub –dance thing on her back on the floor rugs, twisting & turning with abandon, while sounding off with her playful “look at me” bark-speak! I was continually amazed at how extremely intelligent she was; She could spot the scent & direction of our local chipmunks/ground hogs and corner one with the most playful, yet crafty pursuit,; and then she could be so still waiting for just the right moment to surprise & chase a squirrel up a tree! I remember so many trips to Florida together as she loved to go with me to the ocean, chase the sea birds, ride on our boat ,swim,and fetch her water toys for longer than I could seemingly keep tossing them, always wanting “one more throw” before we left to go home. She was so far beyond what I ever imagined a dog was capable of : She was my most loyal ,trusting, forgiving, energetic, playful, elegant, and for me life saving family member. I learned about “Love” from Lola. She was the daughter I never had , yet she loved it when we would play & roughhouse together much like father’s & son’s do. She was perfect for me. This time a year ago she was still with me,vibrant for her age of 13, energetic & happy. Sudden & without much time to prepare, cancer ravaged her beautiful body, and it sill seems so unjust that I had to make a decision to help her walk across the rainbow bridge…Now, my heart has a permanent hole in it; My world is incomplete without her. and the deep ache I still feel in her absence is at times overwhelming; This is my first Christmas without my precious “Lola”,and I don’t know how to experience the season withut her graceful prescence except to give this and other memorials to her as a tribute to her life and our life together. “Lola, my dear sweet child, my Christmas Wish is that soon again we’ll be together to run & fetch , go on journey’s where we’ll never have to go home, and once again I’ll rub your ears,scratch your tummy and tell you how much I’ve missed you,and just how special you are to me,my precious child. I love & miss you Lola with all that is me, yesterday,today & for eternity”. Your Dad