goodbye, Boudreaux dog

I have been avoiding this. I don't want to put this into words. It makes it more real.

Our Boudreaux dog was hit by a car on December 30th out at Nick's family farm in Tennessee. He was still alive when the DePalmas scooped him up and took him to the vet, but he didn't survive the ride over. He died peacefully in his NeNe's arms, wrapped in his favorite blankie. We built him a wooden casket and buried him on the DePalma's farm, his favorite place on earth. We sowed the freshly turned dirt with a thousand tears. Two days later, we returned to Boston with the heaviest of hearts, a family of four now a family of three.

We miss him every day. The hardest moment is sliding our keys in the lock. The deafening silence in place of a jingling collar.

Boozie's death only took a moment. What really matters is his life.


taken December 25 2010

Boudreaux Jenkins DePalma began his life with us on January 3 2009. Nick and I had been looking for a dog for ages with no luck. Boo was the first dog in the first cage at the Atlanta Humane Society, trembling uncontrollably with a cocked ear. We took him outside to get to know him and he ran in blinding circles, barely interacting with us. I was kind of skeptical but Nick just knew. This was our dog. He had been in the shelter before--brought in as a stray and adopted by a family the fall before. He had been returned on Christmas Eve. The family said he was too much of a handful. A handful he was. Barely an hour later, we were driving home with him.

Everyone thinks their dog is the best dog in the world. Ours actually was. He ran as fast as the wind, but he snuggled like a baby, limp as a ragdoll in your arms. He wanted to talk to us so much that he'd sing out in frustrated syllables, mimicking our conversations. He caught birds out of the air while leashed on a walk, not once, but twice. He was the king of the dog park, always setting in motion a massive all-dogs-included chase. Some of his toes were black, and the others were pink. He looked handsome in his red collar--always a red collar. He liked running, chasing squirrels, walkies, frisbees, potato chips, chewies, and most of all, his mom and dad.

When Julia was taking Goosey into the shop for an estimate after her run-in with a lawncare truck, she brought Boozie with her. The folks in the auto shop circled around Boozie, patting him and admiring his handsome face. One old man remarked Well, isn't he just better than a person? He was. Our baby. Our little mung bean.

Boudreaux leaves behind his devastated mother and father, his indifferent catbrother Moppy, both sets of adoring grandparents, and a loving extended family. Our little nephew Fuzzy in particular had a very special connection with our little black and white pup. Boozie also leaves his best friends Gilbert, Phineas, Felix, and Felix.

We miss you so much, little one. We can't believe you're gone.



Boudreaux Jenkins DePalma
Loving Pupdog
Born July 4 2007
Died January 30 2010
Forever Our Little One

Discussion Quesion: Talk with me about all the pets you've loved and lost.