Farewell to my sister's dog....Nikki

My twin sister, Carson, had sweet Nikki for 13 years.  She got him when she was in law school...and was stressed out and lonely.

Nikki was an extension of Carson......and, a close part of our family.

He was smart and sweet and mischievous and elegant........a fancy 'lap dog' who was not above stealing meat out of the trash can when he thought no one was looking....hence, earning him the nickname 'the hamburgler'.

My late father had been an outdoorsman and hunter....and always had a penchant for large, hunting dogs.  When his own children starting growing up...moving into apartments...having children of their own.....smaller dogs were introduced to the family.  Daddy put on airs that he could not appreciate 'small dogs'...but, he came to love and adore all of them.

Each Christmas, Daddy would always ask 'You're bringing Nikki, right?'.........and, would always take him and the other 'fancy' dogs on 'journies'.........be it on foot, or in his car when he went for long rides in the country, or just down the road to the hardware store, or convenience store for a pack of cigarettes, or charcoal for the grill.

Dad would slip them bones, and teach them how to 'speak'.  All dogs, including Nikki, loved my father.

It is with great sadness that 'ole Nikki has now left us for that great dog park in the sky.  We receive comfort in the fact that he is most assuredly sitting devotedly at my father's side......next to Hey Boy, Prince, Maverick, Toby Peanuts, Jimmy-Crack-Corn, Bugsy and Bandit..........receiving an endless amount of pats on the head, playful fetch sessions, bowls of homemade brunswick stew, premium grade-A bones, and endless journies every day into the great outdoors.  RIP, sweet Nikki..........the Epes family will miss you greatly, and we will always love you.  Thank you for bringing us many years of joy, smiles, and laughter.

'A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.'
— John Grogan (Marley & Me: Love and Life with the World's Worst Dog)

'Animal lovers are a special breed of humans, generous of spirit, full of empathy, perhaps a little prone to sentimentality, and with hearts as big as a cloudless sky'
— John Grogan (Marley & Me Illustrated Edition: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog)

'A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see.'
— John Grogan