A BOND SO STRONG by PARIS KOHLER

A BOND SO STRONG

by PARIS KOHLER

KURT, MY HUSBAND, GOT A BICHON PUPPY FROM A FRIEND OF HIS WHEN SHE WAS ONLY 4 WEEKS OLD. HE HAD TO BOTTLE FEED HER FOR A COUPLE WEEKS. KURT, MUCH TO MY SADNESS, NEVER HAD CHILDREN. THAT LITTLE PUPPY, LUCY, WAS HIS LITTLE GIRL. THEY WERE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER. KURT LIVED HIS LIFE AROUND LUCY. IF SHE COULD NOT GO SOME WHERE, HE DIDN'T GO. HE SAT THROUGH A CUOPLE HURRICANES BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT LEAVE HER. SHE WAS HIS LIFE. 5 YEARS OR SO AGO, KURT HAD A HEART ATTACK. LUCY KNEW OF HIS HEART ATTACK BEFORE HE DID. THAT DAY SHE NEVER LEFT HIS SIDE. NOT EVEN FOR A MINUTE! SHE WAS THE BIGGEST PART OF HIS RECOVERY. SHE WAS EVERYTHING TO HIM. BEFORE MOVING HERE TO WISCONSIN,HE TRAVELED ACROSS THE U.S. WITH LUCY ON HIS LAP OR AT HIS SIDE. LUCY WAS HIS LITTLE GIRL. SOON AFTER KURT AND I MET HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS EVERYTHING HE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR IN A WOMAN. (HE IS EVERYTHING I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD FIND IN A MAN.) BUT I HAD TO PASS THE LUCY TEST. I SAID "OH, TO SEE IF SHE LIKES ME, HUH?" HE SAID "NO THATS NOT IT. SHE WILL LIKE YOU, SHE LIKES EVERYONE. ITS TO SEE IF YOU LIKE HER. IF SOME ONE DOESN'T LIKE LUCY, THEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THAT PERSON." HE WAS RIGHT... IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! MY HUSBAND IS DIABLED. LUCY WAS HIS THERAPY. ON THE MANY, MANY DAYS WHEN HIS PAIN LEVEL IS SO HIGH, WHERE NOTHING, AND I MEAN NOTHING WILL MAKE IT GO AWAY OR AT LEAST SUBSIDE, LUCY WAS THERE FOR HIM. SHE MADE EVERYTHING OK. KURT IS ALIVE BECAUSE OF LUCY. WE LOST OUR BELOVED LUCY A SHORT TIME AGO. A PART OF US DIED WITH HER. KURT IS HOME ALL DAY, NOW ALONE. THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO IN THE HOUSE WITHOUT THINKING OF HER. WHEN HE GOES TO MOVE IN HIS POWERED WHEELCHAIR, HE LOOKS TO MAKE SURE SHE IS NOT IN THE WAY. WHEN HE FINISHES A DISH OF SOUP FOR LUNCH, HE LEAVES A SPOONFUL IN THE DISH FOR HER. THE SHORT TIME PERIODS HE SLEEPS, HE LEAVES ROOM AT THE FOOT OF THE BED FOR HER. WHEN HE COMES BACK INTO THE LIVINGROOM, HE LOOKS FOR HER TO BE SLEEPING CURLED UP ON THE BACK OF THE COUCH. LUCY FILLED HIS LIFE WITH AS MUCH LOVE AND HAPPINESS AS CHILD DOES. PUTTING HER DOWN WAS THE HARDEST THING KURT HAS EVER DONE IN HIS LIFE. THE HARDEST THING FOR ME IS SEEING HOW MUCH HE IS HURTING. I CAN'T MAKE THE HURT GO AWAY. I NEVER KNEW WHAT A BICHON FRISE WAS UNTIL I MET KURT. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DOG WITH SUCH A SPECIAL PERSONALITY. SHE WAS 15 YEARS OLD WHEN WE LOST HER AND UP UNTIL SHE GOT SICK, YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT SHE WAS TWO. I REALIZE ANY PET CAN BE SPECIAL, IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW YOU RAISE HIM OR HER. THERE WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT OUR LUCY, ONE LOOK FORM HER AND SHE WAS IN YOUR HEART TO STAY. YOU CAN NEVER REPLACE A FAMILY MEMBER, EVEN IF IT HAS FOUR LEGS. HAVING SOMETHING THAT SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE IS PRICELESS. AND WHEN YOU ARE DISABLED, ITS THAT MUCH MORE SPECIAL. WE WILL FOREVER LOVE AND MISS OUR LITTLE MISS LUCY.

Comments would be appreciated by the author, PARIS KOHLE