Sam
Sam was 10 weeks old when we got him. He was a black Labrador and cute as a button with big brown eyes staring up at you. My husband and I fell in love with him right away. At that time we had no children, so Sam was our baby.
My husband was in the military and when we moved frequently, Sam always came with us. When Bill was away on duty Sam was always there with those big brown eyes.
Sam was always there for the big events in our lives, the major ones being the births of our 3 beautiful girls. When they came home, Sam was there to welcome them with kisses and licks. Sam and our girls grew up together and loved each other.
When Sam was 11 years old we brought home a new puppy, an 8-week-old Dachshund we named Oscar. Sam and Oscar became friends and we all loved our new extended family.
When Sam was 12 1/2 years old his health started to decline and at nearly the age of 14, our beloved Sam passed away. We were heart broken. We had taken him to the vets that morning. Bill and I were there when he came into our lives and we were there when he left us.
It was a sad day for us and we all cried for days. The ride home without Sam was sad, but when we got home Oscar greeted us with a wagging tail and "happy you are home" eyes. We were grieving for Sam but Oscar's love helped with our grief.
We LOVED Sam and we were grieving him, and the love we had for Sam, we bestowed on Oscar. We will never forget Sam but having another dog helped us so much.
The death of a beloved "family member" can be devastating, to say the least; but always remember that he/she would not want you to suffer unending grief. Giving your love to another new dog is OK, you will never forget the ones that passed, they will always be in your heart and you will always have memories.
Never feel guilty for having enough love for another pet.
I hope our experience with Sam and Oscar may help someone else with their grieving.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED SAM.......
- The Marburger Family; Bill, Terry, Michaela, Marissa, Abigail; and Oscar & Bailey