Sometimes someone comes along in life at precisely the right time and gives you a little boost when you need it the most. April was that someone for my sister.
My sister is a tough cookie and it takes a lot to bring her down, but about twelve years ago, life was testing her to see just how strong she was. At that time, I was focused on all of the joys of having my first child. She, having faced numerous miscarriages was reminded that she would probably never bear a child. Along with this realization, her husband and major support person was incredibly ill with something seemingly impossible to diagnose. During a long hospitalization, we wondered if he would ever recover from this terrible mystery. His eventual diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis meant that their lives would change forever.
April arrived in the middle of all of this chaos. A small black soul from the dog pound with history of abuse. She had a contagious happiness, and April brought joy to everyone she met. She was gentle force who was a good listener and aimed to please. My sister trained her to do all the normal dog commands plus a few extras, like "play dead" when she pretended to shoot a gun. We all loved it.
In time, April became a favorite member of the family. She was my brother in law's best friend as he endured numerous tests, medications and more and more diagnosis. My kids loved her funny nature and couldn't wait to take her for walks at all the family events over the years. My mom, a self proclaimed "dog disliker", opened her home willingly to her granddog and gave her special treats for Christmas and Easter. And my dad loved to pet her for hours as they lounged together on the sofa.
April recently passed away and it hit all of us pretty hard. We all knew that we hadn't given April as much as she had given us. But as is usually true with kind souls, they enjoy doing it and never expect anything in return. Goodbye, April, and thank you for being there when you were needed most. We will never forget you.
K
