Emma-sary of Love - We Miss You!

May 18, 2009

We have sad news for you today. Our beautiful, beloved dog Emma, died on Friday morning, May 15 at 6:15 a.m. We are heartbroken and devastated as Emma was such an important part of our family, our business and our lives. She was like a child to us.

For us, Emma was the perfect dog. She was a beautiful English Springer Spaniel/Golden Retriever mix, combining the very best qualities of both. Emma was very gentle and loving but firmly protective of her “pack” including her little cat sister Katie Kat and her best schnauzer friend Patrick.

Emma loved people and always considered strangers to be friends that she hadn’t yet met. She loved being at our office and greeting all the Soul Adventurers arriving for their retreats, greeting them with a wagging tail and a big wet kiss to the face. Emma was absolutely certain that everyone who came to the office was there to see her. When she wasn’t there, the first thing everyone would want to know was “where’s Emma”? She was always the “puppy fix” for all the retreat clients missing their own dogs.

Emma was very well-mannered and almost never barked, except in her sleep when she was dreaming of chasing rabbits. Then her legs would twitch and move and she would let out a little muted “woof, woof”. She had big, soft floppy ears that she loved to have scratched almost as much as she loved to have her chest rubbed. Emma loved to go on H-I-K-E-S. We couldn’t say the word unless we were ready to walk out the door. She would just get too excited.

We always joked that Emma hadn’t gone to obedience school, she hadn’t needed to. Instead, she must have gone to “endearment school” because she had a habit of resting her muzzle on your knee and gazing up at you with her huge brown eyes in a way that would make your heart melt. She was a big bundle of love and we referred to her as our “love muffin.”

Emma was our hero and we aspired to be like her. She always lived completely in the moment, continuously seeking her joy. She loved fully, forgave quickly and was always ready for fun. When she wagged her tail, it wagged her whole body. She always saw the best in whoever she came in contact with. “Lord, please help me to become the person my dog believes me to be!”

Friday morning, she passed very suddenly and almost without warning. Luckily, we were able to be with her for her last hour and hold her and pet her and tell her how much we loved her and what a good dog she was.

We called neighbors and friends and all during the day there was a continous stream of people who came to say good-bye to this amazing being. They brought flowers, candles, rose bushes, notes and their wonderful love and caring concern. Emma had more people friends than we ever realized and her death has saddened so many hearts.

Debra received the sweetest message from our travel partners in Peru. She sent an e-mail that day to say she wouldn’t be in the office, in spite of all the last minute details that had to be handled since we leave for Peru on Friday. Debra explained that our dog had passed and felt a little sheepish, thinking they might think “it’s just a dog”. Instead, the message she received back was:

“We feel so much sorrow for Emma’s death. She is waiting for us to help us to cross mountains and rivers to get to the upper level (this is according to our Andean believes). Dogs are so important to be in touch with God.”

We know that Emma was an instant connection for us to God. Emma was our Emma-sary of the Divine. Every time she greeted us in the morning with those smiling brown eyes, wagging tail/body and her huge enthusiam for life, we knew that we were looking into the eyes of unconditional love. What a blessing!

Emma, we love you so much, thank you for the 8 incredible years you gifted us with your perfect presence.

Adios – go with God.

Tom & Debra Margrave