Foley's Final Gift

Before I left for the Bridge I had one more gift to give my Mom.  It is the last gift so many of us give when we cross over.  My last gift was River Song.

Granted, some days that gift is like a pair of socks.  But most days my gift works out just like I planned (those days don’t include the days that she craps on my museum.)

The key to finding a new dog to replace you is to get one who reminds Mom of you enough to make her smile, but not enough to make her cry.  The new dog has to have some of the traits that made your Mom smile, some things she wish you had done, and some traits from dogs that came before you.

The most important trait River needed to have to remind Mommy of me was to be a snuggle bug, and on this she gets a B+.  River, as you can assume from a young lollipop who became impregnated before she blew out the candles on her first birthday cake, is great in bed.  She is incredibly warm, wonderfully snuggly, and loves to sleep in.  When I peer into the River of Life to watch my family sleeping in my bed I swear River could be a little Monster.

She also loves to be held like a baby cuddled in her arms, lying on her back.  Blake Bear did that but  I was never trustful enough to lie on my back in someone’s unsteady arms.  Plus, when I came to live with Mommy, Blake filled the baby snuggling roll, so I took the baby squirming roll.

River also revives memories of Blake in the way she begs for food.  Blake used to do what was called “up pretty.”  She would sit straight on her butt, with her front paws up, and look back and forth between Mommy and Daddy until one of them gave her a treat.  When Blake went to the Bridge I took over the roll of main begger, but not being good at balancing, I just barked.  And barked.  And barked.  Now River is the main treat begger but she is no better at balancing than I was, so she stands on her back legs, punches her paws in the air and emulates Blake by looking back and forth between our parents with the same eyes.

She has taken over the role of sitting on the back of the couch and barkin at anything that comes into view.  Pocket does this too but Pocket doesn’t balance very well up there.  Both River and I would have to bark when Pocket fell off the couch.

River has taken to the tasl of adorably playing with toys to a new art form.  Blake liked toys, but outgrew them as she got older.  I would pick up a stuffed toy, growl ferociously and shake my head wildly, but I got dizzy after a few seconds.  Pocket, she’s afraid of toys.  But River loves her stuffed toys, and walks around with them in her mouth squeaking, or picking up one of her balls and holding it between her paws chewing it.  Mommy thinks this is so cute.  I don’t see it.

And Mommy loves to play with River.  There is a plush Christmas ball that someone sent us.  Before we go to bed Mommy puts River on the sheets and holds the ball up.   River dances in front of her as Mommy asks her whose ball it is.  None of us ever did that before. River created that herself, and it sure does make Mom smile.

I love to look in the River of Life and see Mom smile.  I am so glad River makes her do so.  It may take a village to raise a child but it takes a village of Angels to create a pup.  

And nothing makes an Angel smile more than a happy Mom.