I'll Never Forget You

This post can also be found in it's original source at dutchboylife.blogspot.com.

The only thing I can really say now is that I wish I had written this sooner, but with extra time I was able to reflect and outline my thoughts clearly. While I was away in Belize, I was only gone for three days, Dutch passed away. Not to judge but to people who do not have dogs Dutch may just be a dog, but to me he was so much more. I remember when we got him and how his curious name came about, part homage to President Ronald Reagan and to Dutch chocolate; I remember how small he was yet how large his feet were. I remember him as a young dog full of energy eager to run around the house or jump up and put his paws on my shoulders. I remember him as an older dog, as a guardian, we used to rent a house in Cape Cod and he would roam at night to check up on all of us to see if we were okay. He also had the habit of if anyone were getting frustrated or angry he would run up and put his paws on your lap to calm you down. And then in his last months as his sickness worsened he would lie on the floor and put his paw on my arm just to let me know he’s there and he wants me to stay with him. Dutch knew what was going on, and he was a part of my family, we used to have a running joke that he could talk, it was common for one of us to ask “what did he say?” I really could go on and on and even then it wouldn’t do him justice, there is just too much to say to really explain him, how he loved to go on walks and rides, he loved cheese, he loved kids, how he never kissed anybody but instead pushed his nose in your ear, and how could I forget that big smile he would always have whenever I came home. I remember that he loved to come to my baseball games, there was one time when I had hit my first homer, a deep drive to right and Dutch missed it, so in my next at bat the second pitch I saw I smacked into center field, just so he could see one. To be honest I couldn’t believe he was gone, I thought he would run around the corner at the sound of my voice and fill the house with loud barks and spread hair all over the place as he wagged his tail. Even in this time of sadness though, I know God cares for him too, just as much as my family did and is taking good care of him. I loved Dutch, and even though I got cross with him and told him how much of a pain he was when he “went on strike” and rolled in the grass outside, I would give anything just to take him out one more time. As for what to do with this blog I have decided to leave it up, and I will make a collection of pictures in a slide show in his honor. Dutch was a blessing and out of all the first dogs I could have, I’m glad it was him.