HI Gretta Girl

This is mom .... the one who misses you more than anything else on earth or in heaven. Gretta baby, I know you can now walk and run and romp and sleep and play - all those things that age took from you here on earth. I know you can feel my love going up to you - I can feel yours every day. Thank you so much for sending me a "little brother", Rufus the lab-newfie. We walk the same 50 blocks you and I walked SO many times. Like you, he had some weight to lose - and, like you, he has. Thank you for sending me someone to fill my empty arms, Baby. Can you hear me singing songs about you when we walk? Good thing Rufus doesn't understand English or he'd be sad the songs weren't about him :)

Gretta girl, no love will ever be like ours. You opened my heart ... and our physical separation has broken it. But it's still open and for that I thank you. Take care of yourself, Babyface. And when new doggies and kitties and bunnies and fishies and gerbils and every other kind of animal comes up to join all of you in the Perfect World, take him or her under your kind wing and show them all the wonderful things in that world.

Mom will be there someday - to hug you and play "Who wants to lay on the floor?" Love is forever. You taught me that.

Love always and forever,
Your mom

Dear, darling, sweet, precious, gentle, kind Gretta.

It’s been almost five months since mom saw your face, since I heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet on the hardwood floor, since I saw your tail going back and forth so fast it gave you one of your nicknames (Mr. Waggy Tail – even though you’re a girl), Since I stroked your velvet ears, since we did the one and only trick we knew, “Who wants to lay on the floor?”, since your floppy lab lips dropped back and I could ask you, “Who’s making a wolf?”, since I could rub your tummy until you “fell over” one side or the other. Since the thousands of big and little memories that we made together. Mom misses you SO much, my beautiful Babyface.

Dear Jeanne,

Your love letters to Gretta are so beautiful! I can feel the love you have for her as strong as ever and never ending. You know thats exactly how I feel about my Trevor (and all my boys). I'm so sorry that we only have these crude ways of sending messages to our cuddly-bears in Heaven. We know that our thoughts and love flow directly up to our babies, but sometimes we just have to put something in writing. It takes me a long time to write anything because I'm still crying so hard while writing.

You were such a good mommy to Gretta. Yes, you allowed her to do some things that this "hard nosed" mom wouldn't have done, but Gretta and you were your own family and, besides, she didn't turn out to be a J.D., so what does it matter? She adored you and just wouldn't let you out of her sight as proof. That is, unless someone in another room had food that she wanted or smelled good. And that speaks to the depth of the love that you and she had on earth and now have flowing between heaven and earth and. one day, will be complete in Heaven.

Sweet nothings and sweeter memories are the most precious things that we share with our dogs (or any other animals). Keep it up because it will continue to make the connection with Gretta stronger (if that is possible - it's so strong already). That is why I go out to the Cemetery, sit with Trevor and my boys, help to some clean-up work in the cemetery (and there is a ton of work to do), come back and take my breaks at their graves and ultimately say "good night" to them before I leave for the day. Luckily there is a nice old bench (very sturdy) close by that allows me to sit as long as I want.

Keep up the good work and know that Ruffie loves you with all his heart and soul, too.

XOMe, too!XO

Hi Bobbie

Thanks SO much for the beautiful and understanding words. Yes, I DO miss my Gretta - just like you miss your Trevor. It's not so much the specific details any more - just a big, sad hole in the heart. I know what you mean about always crying when posting here. Even Ruffie has let me by with some sniffles without coming and snuffing himself.

Thank you for being the best sister and fellow dog-mom in the world.

Gretta's and ruffie's mom

XOXO