Sasha Girl

by: Charis



We suffered a horrific loss on Friday when our little puppy girl, Sasha (on the right in the picture with my sister's dog Harley), was hit by a car and died. How are we doing? Devastated. She was our baby girl and such a huge part of our life that she has left a overwhelming void in our lives. She was brilliant, sweet, loving, and obedient - so much so that people were amazed at her good behavior and unique interactions with us.



When I met Duffy, he didn't like dogs...in fact most of his friends would say that he hated them. Last week I was putting up laundry and peeked down the hall to see the two of them sitting on the couch, nose to nose, having a discussion that went somewhat like this:



Duffy - "So...how are you doing? Are you adjusting to the new house?"
Sasha - " (deep sigh) "
Duffy - "Do you need to talk about it?"
Sasha - " (put her paw on Duffy's hand) "
Duffy - "It's okay. Change takes time. I love you little girl."
Sasha - " (licked Duffy on the cheek and then crawled up in his lap) "



She changed his heart in one short year. She may not have spoken English, but she sure had a special way to communicate love. She loved to play with our cat, Mr. Kitty. "play" or "attack" - whatever you want to call it :) - they both loved to wrestle. She loved to roll in the grass, get completely covered in it, and then prance around in the front yard. When it would rain, she loved to wear a doggy raincoat outside and would refuse to get wet without it on. She hated baths, loud noises, the vaccum cleaner, and going in the bathroom. She loved going to Duffy's softball games, riding in the car, sleeping on the bed at night (specifically ontop of my legs), playing with other dogs, laying in her spot on the couch, harrassing Mr. Kitty, sucking on dirty socks, peanut butter, and ripping stuffed animals apart. If you said "Bam-Bam" she would lay down and play dead.



More than her likes and dislikes, she had so much history with me. In the past 8 years, she saw me through college, my first job, my first house, deaths, moving, traumatic breakups, losing it all, rebuilding my life, marrying Duffy, 5 Celebrate Freedoms (she used to lay under my desk at work), and illness. She moved with me 8 times, rode in 6 different cars I owned, and visited 3 classrooms of students I taught. I always imagined her licking the face of my first child and walking next to the stroller as we took the baby on a walk. It's so hard to face the realization she won't be there.



Blogging is sometimes for other people to stay in touch, this one is really more for me. It marks the passage of a dear companion of 8 years. She won't get a memorial service, but this is a place that I can honor the time she spent with us. She truly was a gift from God, that He used to bring me peace, love, and comfort in the darkest valleys of my life. We loved her and will miss her - but the pawprint she made on our hearts will remain forever.

Sasha 'Boone' Johnson
2001-2009