My four-legged writing partner

By Pamela

This blog is made possible by the writing partnership six of us created several years ago. One only has to read a few back posts to get an idea of what we've meant to each other in terms of support and collaboration.

But years before I met Joan, Susan, Kim, Julie and Elizabeth, I had another writing buddy. Today is the first day--in over 11 years--that I sit at my computer without him by my side. Saturday around noon, my husband and I made the difficult drive to the vet to put to rest our dog, Jett.

Jett on his 11th birthday.

Jett was a small puppy of 17 pounds when we rescued him in July 2000. As he forged his way into our hearts he managed to:

• eat our deck
• chew the back door frame off--more than once
• dig up newly planted trees and drag them across the yard
• leap our fence like a gazelle (until we installed a higher one)
• free our yard from a nasty mole or two
• terrorize a number of squirrels, birds and rabbits
• snuggle each night with one of the boys in their beds
• tolerate our girl--as long as she dropped food in his direction

Each day, after I'd kiss the children off to school,  Jett would pad toward my office, stopping to look over his shoulder as if to ask if we were ready to write for the day. Then he'd rest his head on my knee while I checked my morning email, waiting for the last bite of my granola bar.

Waiting for me to share a bite.

If I stayed in one place too long, I'd feel his warm nose under my arm and he'd keep nudging at me until I'd get up and take him outside for our much-needed break.

Perhaps today you write with a furry friend warming your feet or miss the one who warmed your heart.

Today, I'm missing my writing buddy.

Today, I'm missing my Jett.