DOGS: Cherokee's Memory Book - Introduction

JAPAN-RELATED POSTS BELOW:

--HEROES: "God is with us, Mom. We will be okay."

--YAHOO: Tsunami orphans

--INTERACTIVE MAP: Earthquakes in NE Japan March 11-27

--Geologist Jim Berkland and the Ring of Fire

See Cherokee the Chow and Cherokee: Not as big as she thought she was on His Scribe.

     When we had to put Cherokee to sleep after 14 years of life, our then four-year old granddaughter Katherine was devastated. She loves animals and this was her first death. Her mother said she cried at the news. Often afterward while playing she would go silent and kind of wilt and tears would begin trickling down her face as she remembered the gentle, noble dog.
     So I took a pack of spiral-rule index cards and glued photos of Cherokee on each top card, with Cherokee telling the story of her own life on the card below. I mailed the flip-book to Katherine and next time we talked on our Ojo videophones, she held it up, beaming.
     That was a couple of years ago. The other day when we talked, Katherine pulled the little book out again. This time she could read it herself and she read it to me. Parts of it made her giggle. She'd turn to her mother, who was out of my sight, and say, "Mom, listen to this! This is hilarious! 'I made a BIG puddle on the carpet--and I mean BIG!'"
     Parts of it made her cry.
     There was something so moving about her reading back to me what I (I mean, Cherokee) had written--and being delighted by it. It touched deep grandma chords in me, gave me a precious sense of generational continuity. I have seldom, if ever, had such feelings evoked by someone's response to my writing. It was a sweet time together.
     I have decided to post the pictures and the story for you over the next few days.

Today I am thankful for all furry pets except tarantulas.