It's been a long time since you went to Rainbows Bridge and I have been so upset by you leaving me that I'm afraid I have put this off for far too long. As tears are streaming down my face, I know you know how much I love and miss seeing your beautiful face and those eyes. Those eyes, so understanding and soulful - - I will never forget them, nor do I want to. Miss Kitty and Perry miss you very much, also, and I know they wonder where you are - or maybe they know. I have told them many times.

Sweet boy, I'll always remember the very first time I laid eyes on you when you were at the pound in that cell. You were sitting there with your little sister and you had your arm stretched over her protecting her and it was love at first sight! I was so lucky to find you and you never let me forget how happy and thankful you were to come home with me. You are a devoted and true friend in every sense of the word,

Sweet boy, you were so sweet to every one you met, and always happy and eager to welcome a new friend. Everybody loved you and you always brought smiles and laughs to everyone's face and heart at work and elsewhere.

Sweet boy, you would not let me out of your sight. I hope you can still see me and know that I still feel you beside me no matter where I am. Sweet boy, you would never even get out of the bed until you saw my feet going over the side first. You were so happy to see every day and to go out and see all the squirrels and birds and smell the flowers blooming. You always noticed when there was a new flower blooming in the yard and you always checked it out.

Sweet boy, who never barked because you didn't want to alarm me or Kitty or Perry or any of the critters in the yard. You probably barked only 10 times in your whole life and it was such a deep, baritone bark that I think it startled even you to hear it! But you didn't need to bark, you said everything with your eyes and your mannerisms.

Sweet boy, you followed so close to me everywhere I went, even in the house. Do you remember Mommy playing a trick on you when we would be walking through the house and Mommy would stop short and you would run into the backs of my legs with your sweet little nose? You would look up at me as if to say "what'd you do that for?" but, as always, you smiled (yes, he smiles!) at me and we went on. I miss you so much.

Sweet boy, do you remember when it snowed and you didn't know how to 'go' outside and Mommy dug a trench in the snow beside the stairs so you could go under the shrubs? I was so amazed that you understood exactly what I was doing and you went right away and were so happy and appreciated it.

Sweet boy, I remember every Spring, the very first day the Azalias would bloom, you noticed right away and would go check each bloom out as if to welcome it to your yard! I can still see you there.

I miss so much looking into your face and those eyes. Never was there anyone or any thing who could compare with your eyes and your sweet smile. I'm glad I got to capture it in pictures and I have shown them to everyone!

I will miss your presence here with every breath I take for the rest of my life and I cannot wait until we are reunited again at Rainbows Bridge. You have fun, Sweet Boy, and know that I will be there to pick you up before you know it! In the meantime, I hope that you have found Tory, Heidi, Rudy, Mischief, and all of your other friends and relatives, and also Susie Gibson Martin's sweet kitty, Bob, who just joined y'all up there along with the multitude of other fur-angels that she has rescued and taken care of over the decades. I know, Sweet Boy that you are, that you will try to take care of them as you always took such good care of me.

I love and cherish you, Mugsy, my sweet boy.

Mommy
XXXOOO

11/20/09: Hey Baby Boy! Mommy visited you several days ago and left you the beautiful Christmas wreaths and left you a message; however, I must have done something wrong and it didn't come out right. I know that YOU know that I was here and here I am again. I wanted to let you know that after all this time, Mommy has decided that it's time to adopt a little brother for you and for Miss Kitty and Perry A.! I have been asking you about this and you have let me know that it's all right now and that you don't want me to be lonely any more and that you will look after your little brother like you are watching over me and Miss Kitty and Perry and ALL the little friends I know you have made there are Rainbows Bridge. I will never love another the way I love you and you know that, but I will love him so much in his own way. You never were jealous if I talked or gave another doggy attention and I was not jealous if you took attention from other people. I was so proud of you, that I loved the attention you got, and you felt the same with me. It is the same way, now, with the puppy. I miss you so much, Baby Boy, and we will have a bigger family when we all get together again. I will still think of you every single minute of every single day like I always have since the very first moment I ever laid eyes on your precious face. Nite, nite, Lil' Fella! I'm coming to bed now...

5/26/10: Hi Little Fella! Haven't written to you for a while, but you know we've been visiting each other here at home! Your little brother, Murphy Balone, is quite a handfull, as you know. We SOOOOO appreciate your visiting on April 22, 2010 to help him with his manors, pottying and eating training! It has made an amazing difference! He looks so much like you sometimes out of the corners of my eyes, I think you are 'physically' here again! I hope, with your continued help, that he will learn to be the Sweet Baby Boy that you are. I KNOW you helped God pick him out for me and send him to me and I am so thankful every day. Miss Kitty is still very ill and I don't know how soon she will be joining you. Please get with God and ask him to help her feel better and to help us get through this trying time. I love you, as always. Mommy.

4/6/18: Hi Sweet Boy! Just wanted to say how much I miss you and love you! It's been 13 yrs today & it seems like just yesterday u were here. Murphy Balone sends his love to you, Miss Kitty and Perry A. and we'll be seeing you before too much longer! With all my heart, I love you... Mommy.