Unfulfilled Wishes
Stimpy,
Yorkies hold a special place in my heart. My piano teacher, Mrs Kane, had 4 of them. They were so tiny and cute. They were yippy at times, but really greeted us all very warmly whenever we came to the house.
Your Meme sounds wonderful. Quirky and smart and energetic, just like a dog should be. And the fact that she didn't like men... well, I think she was just particular, since she obviously loved you to pieces!
Do you ever think of finding another canine companion, Stimpy?
Dearest Lovelumps,
As I can never get enough of anything I hold precious, I have often wished I could have had my beloved MeMe cloned. She was the one perfect dog for me, where I am at, now at 62.
Having never even given Yorkies a second thought, MeMe's arrival at my mother's house was a complete surprise to me. I had always loved dogs (such as German Shepherds) anyway, but I had never had the opportunity of having one due to landlord's objections and the lack of a yard. When MeMe first met me, I was shortly believing that she had been a mistake, as I had never been with a dog that was not eating out of my hands within minutes. MeMe was the exception to this rule. She would begin her unceasing barking at me as an intruder and definitely not welcomed. Being new to my mothers house, I guess MeMe felt insecure and not fully understanding why she had been removed from her original owner.
Shortly, she became attached to my mother serving as my mother's protector and constant companion. She was happy snuggling next to my mother on the couch and was ever vigilant watching for anything posing a potential threat, such as the occasional mother pushing a baby stroller, the postman, meter readers, news paper boy, or any person or animal crossing into the forbidden zone on the front yard. Finally, over a few months, MeMe began to accept that I posed no danger, and was there to stay. I had moved back to Little Rock after a 27 year absence to take care of my mother with her failing health. My one objective and obsession was to make sure my mother never had to go to a nursing home. I can proudly state now that my goal was achieved. Yet at the time, one of my nephews wearing his jeans was targeted by having his pants cuffs nipped by MeMe for his fatal flaw, namely being a male.
I returned to Little Rock in the summer of 1998 to accept a counseling job 50 miles each direction from my home. I had my separate residence about one mile from my Mother's house. In August of 2000, I transfered to one of the Little Rock area school districts, as I knew my mother was getting less able to attend to her needs at home. At the end of October, upon my mother's suffering a massive hematoma to the brain overnight, Meme became my permanent house guest. My mother remained in intensive care for the next 22 days until she finally and gracefully passed into the night, just one month before her 86th birthday. Having so many ups and downs at the hospital those last three fateful weeks, MeMe, the 10 pound wonder that she was, was such a comfort to me and understood instinctively what I was going through emotionally. Such a test of her natural capacity for imparting unconditional love. It was as if MeMe now became my mother's worthy representative on earth. She was such a positive force in my life back then, precisely as my mother had been a positive force in her life for almost 86 years, with my mother's unconditional love for me lasting over 52 years.
MeMe asked for so very little and gave so much more in return. She set such a high standards with me, I fear that no other mere mortal Yorkie could ever quite live up to her standards. She was a cut above. Mostly, in answer to your direct question about a replacement, my biggest obstacle is my phobia of being disappointed by some other Yorkie that would be less of the sweetie MeMe represents in my mind. You see, unfortunately, I am that characteristically overly-fussy & perfectionistic, older-French-gentleman accustomed to only the very best vintage when it comes to Yorkies.
Not wishing to appear snobbish or arrogant regarding over-inflated issues surrounding "pedigree", I, nonetheless, have a dilemma in seeking the
absolute perfect replacement to my most beloved MeMe. What ever I have truly loved, I have the predictable life-long tendency to always place my loved ones on a pedestal, and the same is true for my MeMe. Old life-long habits die hard and you see, I am indeed sentimental and that "creature of habits".
Thank you, Lovelumps, for your caring about my companionship needs.
Habitually yours,
Stimpy
He is my sister's Jack Russell terrier and is adorable. This picture is when I last saw him when he was a little puppy but he is more grown up now.
I really love her ears...
