She was more than a dog

Wednesday morning was a normal morning.  We were rushing around getting the kids ready for school and trying to get them loaded into the car.  I was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher.  The door that opens into the garage was open, and I had a clear view of the kids.  Our garage door was open as well.  I heard Emma scream.  I saw Abby and John Brady run to the end of the garage where Emma was standing looking toward the road.  Brady took off running.  Emma shouted Lucky's name and I just knew Lucky had been hit on Martin Road.  The kids had seen the truck go by and then heard Lucky yelp.  I ran outside.  Poor Lucky had been struck by a truck right in front of our house.  I will NEVER get the image of her lying on the road out of my mind.  Emma was hysterical, Abby was crying, and John Brady was in silent shock.  I grabbed the kids and brought them inside.  Brady was already at the man's truck.  I knew the news wasn't going to be good, but was still holding out hope.  It wasn't until I saw the black garbage bag that I realized our Lucky girl was gone.  Oh, how I wished the kids hadn't been home.  If it had happened only 5 minutes later, the kids would have been spared the horrible vision that I know lingers in their mind.

I was so thankful Brady was home and could take care of everything.  I honestly don't know what I would have done.  Brady and I spent some time just holding the kids and letting them cry.  We really didn't know what to do about sending them to school, but decided going to school would get their minds off Lucky.  Brady asked the kids if they wanted to help bury Lucky.  They did not.  Brady hosed the blood off the road so the kids wouldn't see it.  Then Brady took them to school.  John Brady said he felt nauseous so Brady walked him to his room at school and talked with his teacher.  We weren't sure if the kids would make it at school the rest of the day, especially John Brady.  I sent emails to Emma and Abby's teachers explaining what had happened.  Brady came back home to check on me and to bury Lucky.  We buried Lucky in the back corner of our yard.  I wanted her close by.

I was working at home that day so reality settled in very quickly.  Lucky always laid on the floor next to me when I worked.  

After getting the kids from school that day, I showed them Lucky's grave.  They placed fresh picked daffodils on her grave.  John Brady found a nice rock for a headstone.  Emma wrote Lucky's name in the dirt.  I stood back just breathing in the moment.  My precious babies were silently saying their goodbyes to their beloved Lucky, who had been part of our family for almost 4 years.  

Oh, how we already miss her!  We miss hearing her scratch at the door.  I miss her pawing me awake every morning.  The kids miss her sleeping with them.  I miss her waiting at the counter for a stray piece of ham or turkey when I make the kids lunches.  We miss her letting us know if anyone/anything enters our yard.  I miss seeing her in her crate or laying on her dog bed.  We all terribly miss her running to greet us when we arrive home.  It didn't matter if we had been gone for five minutes or five days, Lucky was always excited to see us.  I miss telling the kids to let Lucky inside, which I said at least five or six times a day.  We miss hearing her crunch dog food while watching tv at night.  Brady and I miss hearing her nightly scratching fit.  We miss catching her laying on the couch and seeing the uh-oh-I've-been-caught-look.  I miss looking into her pretty brown eyes and at her sweet puppy face.  

When we got Lucky from the shelter, Brady said we should name her Lucky because she was lucky that we took her in.  I'm pretty sure we were the lucky ones.