Tilde

Tildie was a tiny long haired Chihuahua, who weighed a bit over three pounds at her heaviest. I called her my "velcro" doggie, because she adhered to my just about like that! I was never in a sitting position without Tildie perched on my chest, up by my chin.

From here, she could direct my attention. A tiny paw would reach to snag my hand as I raised it, pulling it to her for petting; or reach out and pull my face to her so that she could be nuzzled about the ears and cheeks with little kisses.......

She owned my heart. When she died of liver disease three days shy of her fourth birthday, that heart was broken. I wondered how something so tiny could leave such a large hole when it exited. But that was Tildie, and such was her presence....

In the days that followed, I found some solace in making her a pretty grave and beginning to plan a beautiful garden; "Tildie's Garden", around it. This will one day be a fitting memorial to a little dog whose biggest gift was bringing peace to my heart with her constant love. A place I can go and sit and feel her nearness.

I want to add a most important thing. She is not gone. As I struggled with the grief and the wondering, my heart was filled with the thought, as though from Heaven, "She is not gone. Whatever you hold in your' heart goes with you when you leave this place and will be waiting for you in Heaven." And a few days later, pining, from nowhere came an image in my mind. I saw feet, men's feet, running through green green grass; and I knew them to be the feet of Christ... And at the heel, running with more joyful abandon even then in life, ran Tildie.

I'll live my life, never forgetting her, and being a better person for knowing her.

And I will walk in joy with the Lord, knowing that one day, I'll be running with her in the fields of Heaven........