If you know me at all, you know that animals are one of the most substantial loves of my life. I love my black cats, Elliot and Elphie, with everything I have. The same goes for all of my childhood pets. They're even one of the reasons I debate motherhood bc I love my cats like some mothers love their children (likely even more), and I don't know that I could ever put my Elliot and Elphie second on a list. My babies might as well have my heart wrapped up in their tiny paws, because there aint no going back for me. They're my children, and those who have never had the experience of loving an animal have my sympathies.
My Mollie passed on March 7, 2013. I was there, and while it was one of the hardest things I've ever been a part of, I was so happy to send her off with all the love I could give her. That said, I want to focus on her life, because she was a dream dog every family thinks about having. She was literally perfect. She never bit a soul, she never growled, never bared her teeth, and was the BEST friend and shadow of my mom. You could kick and slap this dog, and she'd allow you to do it. She was all about her family, and we were all about her. Still are.
I remember we thought Moey was a trampoline! My parents had been doing a lot of secret shopping, and since they had been adamant that we weren't ready for a dog, we were anticipating a trampoline which we had been asking for for a while. I remember my sister and I huddling at my parents' bedroom window one Saturday afternoon watching them pull up in the driveway. We watched to see what they bought after a phone call telling us to be ready for a surprise, but were too excited to wait around. We ran through the house, out the back door, and stood on the porch waiting for my parents to come from the driveway. There was no trampoline...but a fluffy, soft, doe-eyed golden puppy dog in my mom's arms!!!!! I remember being SO happy, I cried! That was the beginning of nearly 16 years of pure bliss Moey brought to us.
Moey loved her green and red rag bone so, so much. I even tried to buy her new ones for Christmas a couple time, and she refused to play with them. She was loyal to a T! She begged for food like we never fed her. I remember my grandmom would complain because Moey would sit at her feet waiting for her to drop something off her plate. She'd say, "Yo! Git outta here!" then slip her some sausage or bread. We'd say, "Grandmom! You can't complain about her and then give her food! Of course she's gonna stick around!" She would laugh, shake her head, and mutter to herself, "This dog..." then keep giving her part of her dinner. My Aunt Bern, who has down syndrome, always lit up around Mollie. It was a true testament to the love a dog can give, especially Mollie, and how they judge no one based on hair color, race, religion, or anything.
Moey was always running, running, running in our backyard, which was impressive because it's basically a hill. She would run so fast, it was easy to miss her! Her greyhound-ness came out whenever she ran, showing off her ribs and crazy speed. It was funny to watch. You'd throw her rag bone in the yard, and she'd be back with it in about three seconds! We had hardwood floors in our house, so whenever she'd walk through a room, she sounded as if she was tap-dancing. I always knew when she was coming to my room!
Mollie Abigail Childress has set the bar impossibly high for the next round of fuzzy babies to enter my life. She was and is my angel baby, and I miss her every day.
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