Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Reconnecting With My Birth Sister

It was a beautiful late summer day.  I had finished a busy day of judging and found a comfortable spot under a tree, circled several times, laid down, and curled up.  Another Yorkie passed me, then stopped, and turned around “Fluffy Tail?” she asked.

This was common at the Bridge.  Dogs were always mistaking one another  I looked up at the familiar dog ready to tell her I was not Fluffy Tail when the name sparked a memory.

“Dirt Face?” I asked.  The Yorkie nodded.  I leaped up and gave her a hug.

Dirt Face was my birth sister.  We had lived together for eight weeks when my mom came to get me. Us puppies gave one another names.  Dirt Face was always rubbing her muzzle on the ground.  I had a fluffy tail.  We weren’t creative, but we were only three weeks old.

I had left the farm where we were born before Dirt Face and asked her what had happened to her.

“The very next day an older gentleman came to the farm, and I left with him.  He drove me to the big city with loud noises and tall buildings.  I was quite scared.  I was carried into this little room with lots of numbers and the next thing I knew I was lifted straight up.

“That is where I met my mom.  She was only 18 and lived in a big apartment on the top floor.  She said she was going to give me the best life ever, and she did.

“I went everywhere with her in her little bag.  There were always people taking our picture.  We went to clubs, and I got to meet all sorts of interesting people.  There was loud music, but I didn’t mind.   The next morning my mom showed me pictures of us in the newspaper.  She had named me Angel, but the newspaper was confused because the headlines said, Tramp.

“I was the most famous dog in the world.  Mommy spent thousand of dollars on me a year?  I slept in the best hotels, ate the best food, and travelled the world.  I felt very sorry when I had to leave her, and I will wait for her forever.   I am sorry you did not have as good a life, Foley.”

I hugged Dirt Face and promised to see her again then watched her scamper away.  I thought of that day, 16 years ago this month, when I first saw my mommy, and I took off running.  I had got to her seconds before Dirt Face reached her.  I jumped up on mommy, and she picked me up.  We fell in love right then and stayed that way forever.

I remember the look on Dirt Face’s snout when she saw me with mommy.  She knew she had just missed out on the best mom who would ever visit our pack.  No amount of money, food, or fancy hotels could change that.

Sorry Dirt Face.  You missed out on your dream life by a few seconds.