My Tail of Devotion for Isabella

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June 27th 2006 1:19 pm
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My beautiful Isabella is at rest now. We bravely fought the good fight, against her kidney failure, for nearly 2 years, but it still proved to be the victor. The 7 years that she shared with us was, of course, all to short, to say the least. And yet the love and laughter she brought us, makes it feel as though she had been with us forever. From the moment I looked into her eye's she has been in my heart. There are no words for me to describe the love and closeness I shared with this precious soul. The trust that she showed me, even through her illness, is beyond anything I could ever have imagined to be bestowed to me. Who am I? To have been blessed with this pure, innocent love. I was so full of hope that we could again, get through this crisis. I never gave up, and neither did she. Even as the end came, she reached to touch my face, just like she always did when she wanted my attention. I questioned myself everyday that I was doing the right thing in keeping her with us one more day. Not wanting to take away one minute of life that was owed to this wonderful girl, I know now that I made the right choice by allowing her to make that decision. This choice should not be in the hands of one so in love. It is hardest on those remaining. But given the choice, I would not change Izzy coming into our lives. I'll keep what I got from this relationship. Every wonderful second of it. Isabella, you know that you'll be so missed. You've taught me more than I deserve to know. You taught me to not sweat the small stuff and to "just let it go". Thank you for having been. I honestly can say, that I really don't know how I will get through the rest of this life without you by my side. I loved every inch of you and giving you tummy kisses was my joy.
She went painlessly and left this world as she lived in it, with much grace and courage. Sunday night she slept in my arms. I told her of the people, two and four legged, who would be there to greet her on the other side. I told her that she would be loved there, as she was here.
And she WAS loved here. From her daily "work" duties with Sara and Darcy, at St. Mark's nursing home, to her winning the "Take Your Dog to Work" contest on Small Dog.com. Not once, in her life, did she ever show hesitation when greeting new friends. And everyone was a friend to her. She met thousands of people in her short, little life. Many came to know her by her going places not traditionally thought of as "dog-friendly". Her ability to ride silently in a purse made this possible. From dining in 5 star restaurants, to staying in a hospital waiting room for 2 weeks, she conquered them all. She went to movies, shows, shopping, church, hotels, weddings and funerals. Wherever Sara and Darcy went, Izzy was sure to be there as well, in her purse. She loved her purse, crawling in it and ducking her head down so it could be zipped closed without catching her topknot. Isabella also loved to receive presents and new squeaky toys. She opened her presents by herself and searched bags for anything that may be hers. She loved to go for rides and hold her head out the window - pretending she was flying. And Isabella never met a ball she didn't like. No matter the size, she loved to play ball. If she had to push it around like a soccer ball or retrieve it like a mini tennis ball, she was relentless.
Another endearing quality she had was her tongue. Always too long for her mouth to contain, some of it always stuck out. You could judge her degree of contentment by the length of tongue sticking out.
Isabella, my sweet Isabella, you have earned your wings. My Princess Isabella is now my angel Isabella. 08/16/1998 - 02/20/2006

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