Molly the Dog

She was the perfect dog. The first time I saw her, she played with Zoe, the neighbor’s dog on their front lawn. I was staring out the front window and was instantly jealous. Being my nosy child, I went across the street and asked to meet the new puppy. Ms. Sandy, the neighbor, let me in when I knocked and said I could see the puppy if I was very quiet. “ I got her last night and she’s really tired,” she whispered. She went on to tell me how Molly had been found in the woods in north Georgia by a college student. She’d had fleas and ticks on her but Ms. Sandy had given her medicine to get rid of the nasty critters. Molly was lying between the coffee table and the couch on the white shag carpet of the living room. We walked up and when I looked down at her, she looked up at me with her big brown eyes and wagged her tail. When our eyes made contact, I knew I was in love. From that moment on I told myself I wanted a dog just like Molly, but really, I just wanted Molly. I would go across the street to play with Molly and Zoe whenever possible. I thought at least Molly was across the street and I could visit her when I wanted. Then our neighbor went through some major upheaval in her life and couldn’t keep Molly. My family had been debating getting a dog and I wanted us to get her. My parents couldn’t be rushed into anything. Dad would say he had to think about it and Mom would say she had to talk to Dad. I remember being frustrated that they didn’t understand the urgency of the situation. While they were busy thinking over the idea, other people were looking at the dog I wanted! I would check in with Ms. Sandy whenever I could to see if Molly was still available. She always seemed sad that no one had wanted her. I was thrilled we still had a chance to get her. 

One day, after dinner, my mom said she had something to talk to us about. Dad stole her thunder and said, “ If y’all are willing to help with the dog, we’re going to have Molly on a trial basis”. Dreams came true at that moment and she was the best dog. I remember her being afraid of going up and down the stairs when she was little, so we had to carry her up and down the stairs. She would wait for Mom at the top of the stairs to come outside with her before going down the stairs into the backyard. She never figured out the idea of fetch but no one cared. She went with us on the family vacations we could take her on and she became a part of the family. She was there for so many milestones. She was there when we all went to public school for the first time. She was waiting for my brother when he returned from a summer away touring in a marching band. She was there when we came back from college breaks and she was a reminder that we were loved no matter what. 

I have so many happy memories with her. I remember going for long walks at the park, getting her a dog treat at the local frozen custard place, going camping with her, laying on the carpet with her, dressing her up, and one of my favorites, watching her chase squirrels. She would chase the squirrels to the tree where they would inevitably run up the tree and hide. She would sit and wait at the base of the tree for them to come back down. Her optimism, kindness, love, and loyalty were consistent until the end. In a full circle moment, I was the one who found her at the base of the stairs on the last day of her life when she couldn’t get up. Just like I’d met her laying on the ground, looking up at me, and wagging her tail, that was how she greeted me that day. I felt so upset knowing what was coming. The events that led to her death are painful and something I don’t like to think about. We spread her ashes at her favorite park.  I will forever be grateful that she taught me how to love deeply and grieve greatly. She’s always with me and I’m so glad she was with me for thirteen years.