Goodbye Ralph.

This morning we scattered some of Ralph's ashes at a field on a familar walk in Chalfont St Giles that Ralph loved. We wanted to remember, celebrate and say goodbye to our baby Ralph. We wanted the send off to be full of life, just as our Ralph was till the very end.

Words will never express how much Dave and I loved Ralph. He wasn't just a dog but our baby, our family. Our lives aren't the same without him. We miss you, Ralph.

Ralph taught us more than we ever taught him. He wasn't a perfect, obedient dog. He was strong-willed, full of energy, and he knew what he wanted. We loved his sense of fun and mischief. He was amazingly clever and resourceful. He could open doors, find lost treasure, and read our minds sometimes. He was cuddly and sweet at times and independent and introverted at others. He was full of character, full of joy and life. 

Ralph loved everything about life. He loved being outside and especially loved the grass and rubbing himself in it. He loved people and other dogs. Every day was a new adventure for Ralph. It was inspiring, uplifting and humbling for us. Personally, Ralph was full of an unbridled joy and love of life that I so often lacked. Nothing phased him - no dog bites or injuries ever made him flinch. He was an anchor for me sometimes. We were so proud of our Ralph.

We are devastated that Ralph, who was only 2 and loved life so much, is now gone, that his life has been cut short. Ralph was doing what he loved most when tragedy struck, playing with his great friend Mishka, exploring and smelling his way around the world, running free. He was happy till the end. He lived a happy life. 

We feel so blessed for the time we had with Ralph, all the memories and stories and lessons we learned. We were blessed to have had him in our lives. Thank you, Ralph. We love you, we miss you, and we say goodbye to you. We will never forget you, and we will always love you. 

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Thank you, God, for our Ralph.

Thank you for the joy he brought us, the lessons he taught us and the time he had with us.

We feel it was far too short, but every day of our adventure with Ralph was such a blessing, and every blessing - every good thing - comes from You.

Thank you for the gift of Ralph, our furry and enthusiastic little friend and companion.

Thank you, God, for our Ralph.

Amen.