Sophia Jane: The Heart of Life is Good

In the small hours of Friday, September 28th, Jean L. took her beloved Sophie into her arms. Through her tears, she told the Corgi who had shared her life for so long beautiful she was. How much she loved her.

Jean reflected on the journey they had shared, from the moment she rescued twelve week old Sophie from a beating at the hands of kids with a baseball bat, on down through fifteen remarkable years. “The time Sophie was the flower girl in my wedding … the way she stayed right by my side and comforted me when I lost my father and brother … Sophie’s bounce back from surgery to remove a softball sized tumor behind her eye earlier this year … our travels everywhere together, stays at the finest five-star
hotels in downtown Chicago. Nothing was ever too good for Sophie. Our last year as a family together in our new home has
been the greatest year — all because of Sophie.”

“Sophie” she whispered to her, “You need to help me be brave. I promised you I would
do what’s right when the time came. Is it time for you to go? Sophie wagged her little tail like she hadn’t wagged it in years. She was ready.” 

“Years ago, I pinkie-swore that if Sophie ever became so sick that there was
no hope of recovery, I would be brave and do what was right. I got it right.  I didn’t wait too long. Sophie was able to enjoy her last
day walking around, sniffing flowers, the sun shining in her face. 
Friends came over to say goodbye.  It was as good as it could possibly
be.”

“That afternoon, as Sophie drifted off to sleep in the
back seat of my truck, I played “You Are So Beautiful” for her. Loyal brother Simon watched over her with a very worried face, completely silent (much to our surprise). He knew his sister was dying,
but it was important for him to be there for her, despite his devastation.”

“After Sophie was asleep, Doc came back out to the truck to euthanize her. On my iPhone I played The Heart of Life,
the song she gifted to me a few weeks ago in an attempt to make me feel better. I kept it close to her ear so she
could hear.”

“At 4:15 pm, on September 28th, God welcomed home my beautiful Sophia Jane.  When you look up at the midnight sky, there is a bright,
twinkling cluster. That’s Sophie’s tiara, the one she’s wearing up in heaven shining down on me.  She is now God’s princess … to reign for all eternity.”

“Like humans, some dogs have personalities that are larger than life.  That was Sophie.  People believed I was exaggerating when I would share my Sophie
stories.  She WAS magical and she understood every word you said.  Once
they met her, they walked away saying “I guess you weren’t kidding.”  

“I miss her so much and Simon is still hanging his head low. Tonight I will hold my Corgi-boy tight and crinkle his new monkey butt toy
and cheer him up.  He’s been having trouble focusing in agility since
he figured out that Sophie was dying and I’m trying everything to cheer him up. A good cry out helped us both return to form at our last agility event. Sophie would swing her “Prada Purse From Heaven” to thump us good if we didn’t! Someday I will find another Corgi needing rescue. Until then I’ll just continue loving on my sensitive boy, who stops to look at his sister’s empty bed and wants to be held all time.”

“We are
grieving together, but we will go on and live life to the fullest
because we know Sophie will kick our butts if we don’t!”