A Mother’s Letter – #4

By Deborah Cross Werner

Dear Jamie,

We lost another piece of you today. Jak has joined you over the Rainbow Bridge. I know you know this – but we put him to sleep in your room, with your song, candles, and he died in Stephen‘s arms.

When you died we thought Jak would follow soon after, but apparently you asked Stephen to take care of him if anything ever happened to you. Well, Stephen stepped up to the task and gave him all the love any dog could want. He did it for you, Jamie, but he also did it for Jak. Jak became his dog, loved Stephen, and went everywhere possible with him. Jak was so lucky to have two people who loved him so much.

As Jak became more and more feeble, taking care of him became increasingly difficult but Stephen never, ever complained. Most 24/25 year-olds do not want to be tied down by an old dog but Stephen made him fresh bone broth for his sore hips, carried him up and down the stairs when his back legs were not working and cleaned up his messes when he lost control.

We will miss Jak forever but luckily he got to go to the beach one last time and walk off leash as far as he wanted. He also got to go to the dog park one last time and we took him to your bench too. All planned by Stephen. So Jamie, thank God for Stephen- and we will never forget that dog. I will forever remember:

1. His brambles of fur flying through the house.
2. Hearing that when he lived with you off-campus he would eat trash with Lucky, Klicos’ dog, and jump out windows and run. And Tampakis would order him his own dumplings.
3. You chasing him down Burdette Road when he got off the lead.
4. You taking him on Billy Goat A, which was forbidden.
5. His refusal to leave your closet after you passed- he was so loyal.
6. His howl!
7. His ability to ignore most people and other dogs.
8. The first time Stephen and I saw him at the pound we said “that dog needs Jamie and Jamie needs him,” never knowing that he would eventually need Stephen.
9. Watching Jak fall in love with Stephen.
10. Watching Stephen take over Jak’s care and setting up a place for him to be when he needed to be away from people, cool and at peace.
11. And finally the love he showed Stephen as he passed from this world to the next. He found peace and no longer had any more pain.

So Jamie we have given you back your wolf dog or as Stephen would say “Wolfus.” Jamie – take long walks with Jak, feed him steak every night, hug him for us and remember how much we love both of you!

Love,
Mom