Golden Nike Touched by a Golden When we first saw Nike.......July 15th, 1996. We were all excited and apprehensive. My husband, son, and I were going to the Shelter to bring home a dog. Our first pet, and Daniel was going to pick her out. How depressing the Shelter was! So many beautiful fur babies begging to be "the one" How could he choose? Who would it be! Finally he took us over to a cage in the middle of the room, and there sat a shy little golden girl, who so desperately wanted to be chosen. She did not bark, but looked as us intently, and silently prayed for us to take her home. And that was a decision that we never regretted, not for one second. I remember a man at the shelter saying that she was a very sweet girl...oh, if only he knew! They could not have made a sweeter, kinder, more loving soul than our Nike. Thank you my son, for bringing her into our lives and into my heart. I miss her so. Companion In the quiet corners of my life I feel you Always hovering - always near There, but not there, just out of my view A comfortable companion I've noticed you for a while and wondered were you cause for fear or hope I've wondered if my thoughts were heard Or if you were aware of me at all Are you my memories lingering to haunt me with wishes I cannot make true Are you Time standing there just to taunt me Echos of the past and the future With the passage of time as I begin to heal and memories become warm and sweet I realize that you are my lost one's love I feel Bidding me hope as they watch over me. In the quiet corners of my life I feel you Alway hovering - always near There, but not there, just out of my view A comfortable companion Loving, watching, caring. © Candace Graced By A Golden It has dawned on me....my life has been touched by a golden girl. Of course I knew how lucky I was from the beginning. Such a beautiful doe-like furry baby, who came into our lives unexpectedly, and brought us such unending joy. How our young son sensed that the quiet, shy dog staring at us from her cage would be the one....the one who would steal our hearts, and fill our days with stories and now memories. How did a young boy know to pick the dog that would change his mother's life, bring her 11 years of happiness? There were hundreds of eager eyes on us that day, but we could bring home only one little girl, and Nike stole our hearts. A present for our son, became a gift to me like no other. How we loved, how we bonded, how we hugged, and danced and sang! Yes, that four legged little bundle of joy graced my life with a love like no other, a love that now lost, leaves me feeling so anguished, that I can barely breathe. How could she be gone? My brown eyed princess that depended on me for everything. I know that God picks special parents for fur babies from the pound, I never liked thinking of her in that cage, begging us to pick her, and take her home. Yet, on the last night with her, I awakened in the wee hours, and knew that after 11 of the best years that anyone could wish for with a companion like her, that we would have to return her to the place where we first saw her. a place that would let us say goodbye to her with love and dignity. These past three weeks have been a blur, but while out of the house, I look into peoples faces, and I see so many sad eyes. I know these individuals have lost a beloved fur baby, I can just sense it since my loss is so fresh. I do thank God each morning upon arising, and each night upon retiring, for picking me to give Nike a good life on Earth, indeed, there is no greater gift than to love, and be loved by a golden. I MISS YOU NIKE, AND LOVE YOU SO MUCH. Your grieving mommy