Ode to My Friend, Penelope Buttercup

Some days just don’t go as planned. Take, for example, the devastating news that Miss Fifi just received about her best-most-good-friend, Penelope Buttercup, who passed away this evening around 6:15.

She and her little sister, Maggie May, had been at puppy camp while her humans were on vacation, and when they went to pick her up earlier in the evening, Penelope was not doing well. The vet tried everything possible to save her, but destiny had other plans.

Penelope and I were inseparable our whole lives. And whereas Miss Fifi turned to a professional life of fashion and advice, Penelope remained deeply rooted as a family dog, never happier than when running with her boy or hiking with the whole family. She was proud of the family she cared for, and amazingly, she even loved the cat who lived with them.

Miss Fifi is trying to remember that everything happens for a reason, and that Penelope is in heaven now with all of her family who have passed on … but I’m so, so sad right now. It’s hard to be left behind, to have to learn to pick up the pieces and move on.

It’s such a lovely night—exactly the type that Penelope would enjoy wallowing in the grass, or watching families walking past her house. I will always think of Penelope when the days are sunny and the air is cool, and see her sunning herself on the back porch, her eyes closed and facing the sky. Or laugh when I think of how she ran in circles, barking with such joy and enthusiasm when her humans called “leashwalk” or “car ride”. She was so much fun, and always willing to try new things.

I will always remember her. She was my soul mate, my friend. She was my Penelope Buttercup.

You’ll have to forgive Miss Fifi for being a little maudlin this evening … but I thought paying homage to my dear, dear friend was one way I could keep her alive forever. And ever. Go hug your pets, and make sure you tell them you love them. Life, as today, is often unscripted. To Penelope …

Woof.