A Tribute

Sam...Well what can I say about him? To memorialize him? To leave a legacy of him?

Sam Grayczyk. A short, but sweet name. We didn't name him. But we did like his name.

Sam:
--Meaning: "Asked of God, God has heard."
--Breed: Golden Retriever
--Color: Golden
--Favorite Hobby: Retrieving
--Weight: 80 pounds
--Siblings: Joy, Bethany, Jonathan, Domino
--Demeanor: Sweet, kind, pleasant, laid back, lovable, peaceful, friendly, playful

We adopted Sam less than 3 months ago. Yup, November 19, 2010, to be exact. We were told he was 6-7 years old and in good health. Ha. Joke's on us, but it is not very funny at all. Call us naive, but ultimately, we were happy to have him in our growing family. We were extremely disappointed when our reputable veterinarian informed us that not only was Sam a lot older than we had thought, but that he was mostly blind and deaf. And, we didn't know it then, but he had an enormous tumor growing inside him, that would cause him to pass away far sooner than we would have liked.

Sam was friendly and pleasant to the very end of his life on earth. Although I am thoroughly dismayed that an Animal Rescue Center would sell us Sam under such false pretenses, we were happy to call him ours. Domino was happy to have him to play with (well sort of). We actually adopted Sam to be a companion for Domino, but because of Sam's age, he couldn't keep up with him. Domino was constantly prodding him and pushing him into play, and Sam would do the minimal amount required to have a good time. Give him a ball, and he was set for life. He loved retrieving, and we loved throwing. But...Sam always knew when we wanted to stop playing and to settle down. All we had to do was to stop for a moment, and Sam got the idea. Woo Hoo!

Anyway, I wanted to just memorialize Sam in this blog because, although he was only a part of our family for a very short time, he left a huge impact on our lives--his paw print. Before Sam, we hadn't ever even considered adopting a Golden Retriever, now we definitely see another one in our future. Only this time, we will adopt from a more reputable center.

Lastly, as our family is still grieving (Domino has laid around all day sulking and looking for Sam), we realize that Sam's name was definitely suited for him. "Asked of God, God has heard." I think that God knew we would enjoy having him in our lives for a short time, and Jonathan had been asking and asking for a dog. And...I'm sure that God heard Sam's inner plea for a home for his last days. A perfect fit. It's always nice to know that God not only hears our pleas, but actually answers them. May we all rest knowing that.