Augusta May

My darling "Auggie" was born May 12, 1985, and came to live with me 3 months later in August. That's how she got her name, Augusta May. She was my best friend from that moment on. She helped me keep my sanity through a bad marriage and divorce. Then, when she was 6, I remarried. A year later, when I went into labor before the birth of my baby, Auggie was there, comforting me. She never got jealous of our new addition.

A second divorce and a move out-of-state came in following years, and Auggie was always there. In 1995, she had a brush with death in the form of an enlarged spleen and liver, never explained, but miraculously cured. She started losing her sight and her hearing, but she was still loving and good.

In November of 1999, she began to deteriorate rapidly. She developed full-blown diabetes, had heart problems, and failing kidneys. Her spirit rose on January 21, 2000., just 4 months shy of her 15th birthday.

Her "sister" Emily and I still miss her. The three of us have returned to Texas, and Auggie's ashes have a place of honor in the living room. We pray for her every night.