Mary Elizabeth -Nov 1st, 2020
One of the best days of my life was when a puppy who we would name Mary Elizabeth was put in my arms …. She would become my hiking companion and would be by our side for all of life’s ups and downs for 14 years. She would sit under the table at family dinners with her chin pressed up against my leg in hopes of a little taste of what was being served and, yes, I would slip her something to eat. She was always the first to jump in the pool when it was opened in the summer and always by our side …
Sadly, my friend, our companion for the past 14 years, let us know this morning that she was tired. Her journey was over.
I don’t think I’ve ever been in the presence of a sweeter soul. Her brother George Bills, who is 13, has been by her side his whole life and doesn’t understand where his sister is. As we buried Mary Elizabeth in our doggy graveyard, George Bills was right by her side and looking at me as if to say, “I don’t understand this.”
Our hearts are heavy. I know that in the days ahead that Mary Elizabeth’s memory will bring more smiles than tears. I will never get over her loss and will miss her every day that I draw a breath. I know that when my time comes she will be waiting for me along with the other precious souls that I’ve lost through the years to take me on my last hike. Until then, I’ll hold her brother tight, and together we’ll try to heal these broken hearts.
Our pack is missing a precious member. The phrase, tu me manques keeps running through my mind. It means “you are missing from me.”
To my precious Mary Elizabeth — I’ll see you in my dreams and I’ll take your spirit with me on the trail and yes at family dinners I will take a pause and remember the sweetest soul with her chin pressed against my leg.
– Jennie Woods
