There are little souls that come into our lives and become pieces of our hearts. Petie the pug is one of my treasured pieces.
The first time we met him, he was chewing on the lug nuts on a trailer wheel. Then as we chuckled, he charged in a big circle around the yard and snapped the dandelion heads off the flowers as he raced by.
He was nutty and sweet from the very beginning.
In our yard, he quickly discovered the apple tree and the yummy treats that fell to the ground. Like the dandelions, he would race in a circle and scoop up apples as we chased after him. He would snag and eat at least two apples, core and all, before we could catch him…. and, if you dared try to remove said apple from his mouth, he would clamp his jaws in a vice grip and growl.
As a young puppy he had tummy issues and we discovered that whole apples were actually like medicine to his system and seemed to cure all his ills—better than anything else we gave him. The little medicine man was much wiser than us, even back then.
At the age of two, Petie managed to swallow a small rubber stopper. We had no idea what was causing his trouble until it was almost too late.
His intestine actually burst and we barely got him to the hospital in time.
Pete needed major surgery and lots of prayers in order to survive. We loved that little man, but the cost of that surgery was a grumbling spot for my darling husband for a very long time. The joke over the years became that he better stick around long enough to repay his debt to the family.
I was quick to announce that he earned fifty cents a day for his cuteness alone. Some days even a whole dollar!
Yes, on occasion he did lose money, but overall he was a working man. I loved every expression that sweet face could make, and trust me he was a man of many faces.
Our family has been gifted with tons of stories and tales of Petie the Pug. And our lives are ever better for having known him. Who would imagine so much wisdom and joy could be packed into such a stocky little body.
On the day that we said good night to our sweet little man, pieces of my heart trembled with grief and the tears never seemed to stop flowing. Yet I couldn’t help but feel incredibly grateful for the joy and blessing of having known Pete. Love is worth everything, even the pain of separation.
For weeks after, everywhere I looked I expected to see his liquid black eyes gazing at me. I would reach to fill his water bowl, or check to see where he was at, and then suddenly realize he was no longer there.
Petie,
I think I’ll plant an apple tree in your honor. Any debt you ever owed is paid in full …. and now, I owe you.
Sweet dreams little man.
Love, Momma
Enchanted Cottage LLC 