Miss Magnolia (aka Maggie) 
(1998 - 2015)
I'll never forget the first day I saw the feisty little Chihuahua pup who would steal my heart. She weighed a whopping 3 pounds. I remember thinking, "We've got barn rats bigger than you!" The elderly woman who had advertised her for sale told me that she had rescued her from a puppy mill. I asked what her name was, and she said she just called her Bitsy because she was so tiny. I was immediately smitten, and bought Bitsy on the spot. By the time we arrived home, I had given her a new name. "I hereby name you Miss Magnolia!" 
 
For the next 17 years, Miss Magnolia became my constant companion, and our resident Diva. Her favorite color was pink! In her youth, she traveled with me to horse shows, and cowboy churches, and was always mama's baby girl. Later in life, she was content to stay home, cuddle on the couch, and give lots of doggy kisses. And slowly, but surely, the years went by...
 
This week, on Monday, May 18, 2015, we made that long, heart-breaking trip to the vet. I had put it off for weeks, not wanting to face the reality of the situation. Over the past year, Maggie had become deaf, and had lost much of her vision. Although she was not in any pain, she had begun to have episodes of crying out when she became disoriented. To make matters worse, she ate continually, but was losing weight rapidly. Of course, at 3 pounds, there was no room for weight loss. And then that Monday morning, there was tiny splatters of blood all over her bed, as she lay there with a far away look in her eyes. I prayed, "Lord, please just let Maggie die peacefully in her sleep." But Maggie didn't die, and I knew what had to be done. 
 
The vet gave me a soft blanket to wrap Maggie in, and she administered a shot that would act as a sedative. Then she left us alone for awhile. I held tiny Maggie close to my heart and reminded her of all the wonderful times we had shared, kissed her little black nose, and told her how much I had loved her right from the start. She felt so frail, so  old. How could the time have gone so quickly? Wasn't it just yesterday that I first saw this tiny, little dog and took her home? And wasn't it just yesterday that she stole my heart away? Moments later, the vet entered the room with a syringe in hand. The medication that filled the syringe was pink. The irony was not lost on me. Pink had always been Maggie's favorite color. Now, the pink, watery liquid would release her from this decaying body. It was time. 
 
As I held Miss Magnolia close and watched her take her last breath, I thought about the other dogs I'd said goodbye to over the last few years. There was Hank, and Hershey, and Lil' Tex. They, too, had all lived to be very, very old. I had done my best to give all of them a wonderful life, to love them, to care for them with dignity and respect as God's precious creation. And I realized that, as painful as this end-of-life moment was, each of these animals had filled my life with unspeakable joy. For a moment, as I stood there holding her lifeless body, I imagined Maggie greeting each one of those wonderful dogs in heaven with a shout, "I'm here!". And then I imagined her jumping up into Jesus' arms. No more pain, no more sickness, no more goodbyes. Rest in peace, Miss Magnolia. My heart tells me I will see you again.
 
"The lesser creatures await Christ's return to redeem the sons of God so they, too, will be released from physical death to eternal life."
(Romans 8: 19)