Dear Duke,

You were a part of my family before I was born.  You died when I was 12 years old.  As much as my dad and I never got along, I will always admire the relationship that you two had.  I have had you and other animals all my life, and I have never witnessed another relationship between man and dog like it.  This includes the relationship I have with my own three dogs now.

I want to apologize for the night we buried dad.  Please understand that even though we never got along, I was still upset when he died, maybe more so for mom than myself.  While sitting on the porch that night, I heard you coming up the street.  The sound of your gait, with the constant rhythm of your choke chain was something I was so used to that I remember thinking, "Oh, here comes Duke".  It was so natural and comforting, that I listened to it for a full minute  before it dawned on me that you had died 20 years earlier.  As it dawned on me that it was you, I bolted into the house just as you stopped at the end of the walkway at the street and looked at me.

No sooner than I slammed the door, I instantly regretted not coming to you and trying to hug you.  I don't know to this day weather I would have gotten one last chance to hug you and tell you how much we loved you and still think of you to this day.  You were such a big part of our lives and so special.  Yep, always the peace keeper.  I'm happy that dad's with you, most of his life was a black hole, and you were probably the brightest spot in it aside from mom.  That makes you a real special guy.

Anyway, I am so sorry.  Here you were thinking of keeping the peace, and I responded like Pet Cemetery.  I know you understand big boy, but I need to speak the words.  Thank you for mustering up what must have been an incredible amount of Heaven's energy to come do that for me.  As usual, you never let me down.  I love you!!!! 

Thank you so much for coming and letting me know that dad, your best buddy, got to heaven alright.