I lost a very good friend today. My beloved Kinko. It was absolutely the toughest day I have experienced in quite a while, but something that had to be done. She didn't know me anymore. The light had gone out of her eyes. She was tired and lost. She was still the cutest little black dog I have ever seen, but the spirit she had and I had always known had flown away.
She was just 3 wks old the first time I laid eyes on her. So tiny, the runt of the litter, with that crooked back. But it was love at first sight. She became a member of our family from that day on. She always had so much love and curiosity in her eyes and you could almost tell what she was thinking. The cutest face ever.
Oh, how she loved to chase those squirrels. She felt they were invading her yard and always ran after them as if to say "this is my place, not yours". But you could always tell she really enjoyed chasing them. I remember her sitting on the small ledge of the porch, watching and waiting for one of them to come into her space and then she was off like a rocket. I sometimes thought she would go all the way up that tree.
And then, there was the flashlight. It was by far her favorite thing. The bark she made when it appeared was very different, as if to say "why is that glowing creature taunting me. I have to get it." I remember when she would jump the wall and turn in mid air almost in a back flip to land on all four feet. She would do this for hours, until we would have to stop her before she would drop from exhaustion.
She was so sweet. When I was sick, she was always by my side, offering some comfort, somehow knowing what I was feeling and saying "I'm there for you".
In the end, the light was gone, she could not hear me call her or see very good. But, she was always ready to chase "the light" up until the end.
At the end, she was peaceful and went to sleep quickly. I kissed her goodbye, and asked Mama to take care of her. I know she is now a puppy again, running free, chasing those squirrels, and an occasional light on the wall.
I will miss her for rest of my life. But I am extremely grateful for the time she was mine. She was a very special creature of God and I am very thankful to Him for sending her to me to love and care for during her life here on earth.