Our family has been incredibly blessed. Randy and I have weathered the euphoric, disappointing, proud and tumultuous moments of our now, full-grown kids. That was a nail-biter for a good 25 years and I’m sure more nail-biting is yet to come with our adult age kids. One aspect that has been a “given” over the majority of our kids’ childhood and now early adulthood is the pets that have given us that constant comfort from the crazy world we live in.
You all know when you walk in the door after being away either at work, just a hard day of chores or running the kids around, your pets are there for you, asking really nothing in return but the obvious.
Just to let you know the significance of our pets in the Tobler household, all I have to do is say the word “Christmas” and the kids will immediately know what I’m talking about. What has been our routine over the last 10 years is our annual (truly really crazy) trek to St. Louis on Christmas Eve-Eve is to spend time with the Tobler Family and then spend time with the (my family) Rathert family on Christmas Eve. We then all make a trek home to Bible Grove, Missouri and arrive usually (and sometimes in blizzard-like conditions) at 3 in the morning Christmas Day. But the “whipped cream” of Christmas Day is being able to pick our dogs, Zoe and Lucee, up from Hound Around Hotel, from owner Janine Sivitz at 8:00 A.M. on Christmas morning so they can be a part of our very private Tobler Christmas celebration. Honestly folks, forget the gifts at this point, having my immediate family and their significant others AND our pets, Zoe and Lucee is a Mommy-high like no other!
Zoe, our Retriever/Chow mix dog has been with us the last 15 years in the Tobler household. Shannon is the reason we have Zoe. Shannon decided at the age of 5 she really wanted to join a professional dance group. However, after years of pursuing this love of dance, she decided one summer (around the age of 13) that it was time to move on to other challenges and she wanted a dog to help her with those challenges. That is how we ended up with Zoe. We searched the entire St. Louis County area, and then found Zoe in our backyard in Sunset Hills, MO at Adoption Days at a local pet store.
Zoe has been one of those almost, scarily intuitive dogs that absolutely knew when you were having a bad day. When you were about to well up with tears, she was there at your side. She was a delight to take on long nature walks and an absolute joy to snuggle with at night. She also has that “I’m in charge” side that really takes you by surprise. When our other dog Lucee has pushed the limit with her, either sniffing her in all the wrong places or blocking her access to the food bowl, you quickly find out that Zoe is truly in charge and is not to be messed with.
This is a celebration of Zoe’s life. I’m sitting here on a Saturday night, knowing that on Monday she will no longer be with us. She has a tumor in her eye, emanating all the way down to the base of her nose. She has the final signs before she will be in a “world of hurt”.
Here’s to Zoe! May we all bring happiness and joy into the lives of others like she has!!!
