 |
| Brody and Darla with Kelli, February 2011 |
Truth be told, I loved
Brody and Darla.
I never wanted to admit
it, because it was always more fun to dislike them and complain about things
like picking up after them (especially the doggy doo on our sweet backyard
putting green), having them follow me around the kitchen (studying my every
move for any sign that I might
accidentally drop some morsel of food in
their direction), parking beneath Royal’s high chair as he bent over to drop
handfuls of his dinner on the floor just to watch them eat it, Brody’s barking
at me each time I walked into the house (even after he knew it was me), Darla
sneaking upstairs to sit at a spot where she could see out the front door (even
though she knew she was to stay off the carpet), doggy smells, and so much
more.
I did not realize just how much I
loved those dogs until I finally got my oft stated wish that they be placed
elsewhere in a good home.
 |
| Kelli and Brody in 2009, Provo, Utah |
Brody and
Darla blessed Kelli’s life and helped her heal.
In an unselfish act of incredible courage, Kelli let them go so she
could focus all of her energy and attention on raising Royal.
That decision was beyond difficult, and Kelli
had to make it alone, while we were out of town the weekend of May 11
th. She did it without the comforting reassurance
of her family. But, Kelli had made her
decision and was resolute that she would place them if she found a good home
that would keep these dogs together. It
was something Kelli felt was best for the dogs, best for our family. I had, after all, told Kelli repeatedly that
she needed to find a new home for the dogs.
Maralea supported that counsel. I
still believe it to have been wise counsel.
Kelli agreed. However, that does
not mean that I am not grateful to Brody and Darla for the gifts of love they
brought our family.
 |
| Brody and Indy were good friends |
I first met Brody when Kelli was a newlywed.
He teamed up with Indy, a sweet Golden
Retriever, in Kelli’s newlywed apartment with her then husband.
Brody quickly formed a special bond with
Kelli.
During our frequent visits to
Provo for BYU football games in the fall of 2008, we became more acquainted
with Brody.
I found him rather fun to
tease (of course), but noted his complete devotion to Kelli.
It was unmistakable.
There was also clearly a strong bond between
Indy and Brody.
They made quite the odd
couple - as dogs go.
But, I suppose
those two needed each other.
Brody
became used to having a friend at his side.
 |
| Darla liked sleeping on her back as a puppy |
I first met Darla in about April 2010, when she was just
a puppy.
Kelli was playing with her on
the front lawn of her Orem residence when we visited for Brad’s BYU
graduation.
I was surprised to see that
Kelli was adding a third dog to their family.
I suspected that these dogs were giving Kelli something she could not
obtain otherwise: unconditional love.
She was sadly involved in a very difficult marriage, so it makes sense
that she would bond so tightly with these animals.
Kelli has always loved dogs.
She has a little scar on the left side of her
chin as a reminder of a time when she, as a two year old girl, went up to a
neighbor’s dog and hugged it and she received a bite that required two
stitches.
That experience did nothing to
discourage Kelli’s love for animals.
She
was born with lots of love and compassion for both animals and people.
 |
| Kelli and Brandy napping, 1995 |
Kelli was with Maralea and me in December 2002, when we took Brandy to the veterinarian to be put down after we returned home from our family cruise to find Brandy unable to move, incapacitated by a tumor.
I still have painful memories of that occasion.
We all cried together.
I had never allowed
Brandy in
the house and felt bad about that after her passing, as dogs are social
creatures with so much capacity to love.
(We made the mistake of replacing Brandy with a crazy white German
Shepherd, Kato, that made a habit of digging up my entire drip sprinkler line
in the backyard and stacking up all the chewed tubing in the middle of the yard
as though he had accomplished some great feat, who actually chewed up areas of
the house exterior - including our new gutter in the backyard.
The kids probably still have nightmares at
the way daddy went after that nuisance of an animal.
He lasted only six months.
After that, I was completely done with
dogs.
Never again!)
 |
| Brody and Darla playing Tug of War through the side of the kennel, 2010 |
Darla, Brody and Indy were all kennel trained.
All you had to do to send them packing was to
say:
“Kennel” and they would (usually reluctantly) go directly to their
kennel or other place of rest (such as a pillow/bed/blanket).
I did not really begin paying much attention
to Darla and Brody until the fall of 2011.
Those two were inseparable.
We
saw them each weekend when we would come to stay with Kelli her husband at
their Provo home (after they had found their own place).
Darla enjoyed perching herself between the
curtain and window by the front door, just to survey the world outside.
She was interest in all her surroundings,
inquisitive, affectionate, and generally excited about life.
I compared Darla to Tigger from
Winnie the
Poo - always the life of the party.
Brody, on the other hand, was far more laid back.
His passion was food and protecting
Kelli.
Brody was on the fat side and
almost waddled as he walked.
He reminded
me of Eeyore from
Winnie the Poo - almost the opposite personality from
Tigger - walking slow, head down, kind of down on himself and the world.
Brody almost invited my teasing, because he
always seemed to assume the worst of me, cowering often as I would enter a
room, while Darla (ever the optimist) was always ready to give affection and
grab the attention that Brody so often shunned from anyone but Kelli.
 |
| Darla loved her toys! |
During the fall of 2011, it became increasingly clear to
us that Kelli was unhappy. In fact, that
had been apparent for the previous year.
We knew things were not well in her marriage. However, Kelli seemed reluctant to share that
with us. Instead, she chose to suffer in
silence, drawing strength in part from her devoted dogs, Brody and Darla. So, I began to feel some appreciation for
those dogs, for what they were providing to Kelli in our absence. During our visits in November 2011, I
remember watching Brody and Darla in the “hair room” of Kelli’s place
(where she cut hair), which doubled as their sleeping room. When I would walk by the room (which had
double French doors with windows), Brody would either cower or bark at me, and
Darla would eagerly wag her tail with excitement to see me. By this time, Kelli was more than six months
pregnant with Royal. There was building
stress in her marital life that she was not relaying to us. We could feel it and, I am sure, the dogs
could feel it, too. We could not be
there to comfort Kelli and calm her troubled heart. But, Brody and Darla were ever present. They seemed to know what she needed and gave
it to her freely.
 |
| Brody and Darla liked sleeping under blankets |
When Kelli came to Las Vegas with David for Christmas in
2011, her husband was expected to join her the following day.
Instead, however, he used that as an
opportunity to tell Kelli, his then seven and a half months pregnant spouse,
that he no longer desired to be married to her.
She had come to Las Vegas with clothes for only the weekend and had no
way to return to Provo without assistance (since both family vehicles remained
at her Provo residence).
I had Kelli
make a list of things that she would need retrieved from her home.
Brody and Darla topped that list.
Kelli was very concerned about them, what
they were experiencing, whether they were being cared for.
She worried about how they would fare in her
absence.
They needed her and she
desperately needed them.
I have never
been much of a dog lover and my first impulse was to simply advise Kelli that I
would not be retrieving the dogs, that she had more important things to worry
about.
I was sure that the dogs would be
fine, but this was a very desperate time for our family.
Our daughter was in great emotional
need.
She was going through something
that neither of us had ever experienced - complete rejection by her
spouse.
It became apparent to me that I
would have to arrange for Brody and Darla to join us in Las Vegas.
Our daughter was in need, those dogs were in
need and, frankly, Maralea and I were also in need.
 |
| Brody and Darla were never very far from Kelli |
I went to Provo to retrieve Kelli’s things on or about
January 5, 2012.
I hitched a ride with
our dear friends Jeff and Kathy Flagg, who had a trailer and were taking things
to Provo that weekend for their daughter, Patti, and her husband Kai, who were
moving into a new place.
Prior to our
arrival, Kelli’s friends (headed by McKinley Molina) went to Kelli’s place and
collected all of Kelli’s things, including the dogs.
It was comforting for Kelli to know that
Brody and Darla were being taken care of by a friend prior to my arrival.
Still, picking up those dogs was last on my
list of things to do during that Provo trip.
I was busy collecting furniture, clothes, and I even went to a furniture
store to purchase a rocking chair that Kelli had put on lay away.
Kelli had been
nesting, preparing for
the arrival of her child, virtually all alone.
She had put the crib partly together in the room she was preparing for
Royal, which was packed and moved to Las Vegas.
My heart was heavy during that trip.
I arranged for David to pick up the dogs at McKinley and Gian’s house
that Saturday morning.
We drove together
to their home, collected Brody and Darla in their kennel, got their other
things, and put them in David’s car.
I
thought they might be happy to see me.
But, they just huddled together inside their kennel, shaking - clearly
concerned about what was happening to them.
They remained that way for most of the trip home.
We stopped a couple times for them to get out
and do their business, but they stayed together and almost had to be pried from
their kennel.
All the way home on that
trip I anticipated the great reunion between Brody, Darla and Kelli.
I knew how much joy those dogs would bring to
Kelli.
She needed a lift, and they would
give it to her.
How could I hate dogs
that give so much to my dear, sweet daughter?
Rescuing them and providing them with a home would turn out to be one of
my greatest feats as a father.
 |
| Brody, perched at his couch top lookout in Provo |
The moment of the Kelli, Brody and Darla reunion came as
the Flaggs drove into the driveway of our Las Vegas home. I knew it would be great. It was.
Brody and Darla were a bit more relaxed by the time we arrived
home. I removed their kennel from the
Flagg’s vehicle, opened the kennel door, and instructed the dogs to go find
Kelli. They got out of the kennel and as
Kelli appeared on the driveway, they went nuts.
Those dogs were leaping on Kelli and wagging those tails so hard I
thought they might fly off. Darla was so
excited she actually peed. Those dogs
were happy. All their stress was over,
relieved - they had been reunited with their one and only true love. I was grateful for them as they helped fill a
hole in our daughter’s aching heart, provided her with hope and, most
importantly, love.
 |
| Brody & Darla resting in our family room |
Brody and Darla settled down in the short hallway between
the bathroom and utility room of our home.
All Kelli had to do was put their pillow there, and they knew it was to
be their place each day and night. We
purchased gates to try to contain them when necessary. When the gates were up, Brody would stay on
the pillow while Darla would walk up to the gate and look around in the hope of
getting someone’s attention. She was oh
so social. We got to where we did not
even secure the gates between the walls, but would just kind of lean them up
against the two walls across the hallway - because the dogs never touched the
barrier. They did not attempt to move
past it. When it was up, they seemed to
know that they were not to breach the border.
They were really good dogs.
I had hoped that we could train Brody and Darla to do
their business somewhere other than the putting green we had in the
backyard. Brody seemed easier to guide
to the east side of the backyard than Darla.
After a while, I just gave up and let them poop all over the putting
green. Kelli was pretty good about
cleaning up after them. If not, then I
did it on Saturdays when I would clean the yard. I enjoyed complaining about the dogs . . .
and tormenting them. They did not like
being in the backyard when I was working - especially if I had the blower. I think I scarred them emotionally when I
chased them around the backyard with the blower once. After that time, any time they saw me
anywhere near the blower they ran for cover.
 |
| Brody with Royal, July 2012 |
Taking the dogs for walks was always a fun, relaxing
thing to do.
If you ever said the word
“walk,”
their ears would immediately perk up.
Brody would get all excited and stare at you to see if you said what he
thought you said.
If you confirmed that
he was, in fact, going to go on a walk, Brody would start wagging his tail and yelping
with excitement.
Walking Brody and Darla
was a bit of a challenge, as they had to be near Kelli and each other.
When we would let them run, they would take
off together and Darla would always kind of nip and Brody’s feet and ears.
She seemed to like picking on Brody . . .
just enough to let him know she loved him.
Darla was the more dominant personality and Brody seemed fine with Darla
in charge.
They really got along well
together - a perfect match.
As Royal got
older, he enjoyed taking control of the leashes, and would kind of handle the
dogs as though they were set up for the Iditarod.
It would be a tad dangerous if the dogs were
pulling the stroller with Kelli in front, because they would go crazy to catch
up with her.
However, if I took the
leashes and walked out of the house ahead of Kelli, they would resist
leaving.
Darla was the most
demonstrative.
She would sit and lean
towards the house, waiting for Kelli.
Darla was stubbornly loyal to Kelli.
Oh, I could snap her out of it and drag her along.
There was not much she could do about
that.
But, Darla would then be
constantly looking behind her to see if Kelli was be coming along.
 |
| Royal and Darla, August 2012 |
Brody was the quiet watch dog.
He worked at being more intimidating to
strangers and was sometimes over the top with his barking.
I just expected it each time I would return
home, unlock and open the front door, and enter my own house.
There were some rare occasions when Brody
would not bark as I entered the house and each time I figured that Brody was finally
getting used to me.
Perhaps he was, but
that still did not keep him from growling at me every once in a while, just to
let me know he had his eye on me.
Something that always kind of amazed me was how the dogs would respond
when I would get up before dawn and go downstairs.
They never made a peep.
They knew it was me, knew there was no
threat, and just relaxed.
However, if I
were to enter from outside after being away for a bit, they would have a tad
different response . . . until they saw it was me, at which point Brody would
put his tail between his legs after barking, knowing that he was going to get
(at a minimum) a little comment from me about who owns the roof over his head
and all that good stuff.
As I have
entered the house without Brody’s barking this past week, I have actually
barked to announce my arrival.
Isn’t
that strange?
I miss being welcomed each
time I enter the house, even if it was just a little Brody yelp.
Brody’s biggest negative was his barking; and
yet, it was his greatest asset.
Brody
was a great night watchman.
If anyone
came close to the house at any time, he would let us know.
I actually stopped turning on the security
alarm at night because we had Brody and that was better than the alarm.
 |
| Little Royal enjoyed visiting Brody and Darla at their quarters in the hallway |
Brody and Darla were great in helping Kelli get through
her pregnancy under her very sad circumstances of abandonment.
They were at home with her during the hours
when Maralea and I were working, keeping Kelli company, loving her, helping to
fill the painful hole in her heart.
I
could not put a price on that.
I
wondered how Brody and Darla would adjust to Kelli coming home from the
hospital with Royal.
From that time
forward, they did not receive the kind of attention from Kelli to which they
had become so accustom.
She had
something more important - a son.
It did
not take Brody and Darla long to figure out the connection between Kelli and
Royal.
If there was jealousy (which
would be understandable), Brody and Darla never displayed it.
They always just gleefully accepted any
attention they could get, and loved being a part of the family (especially
during dinner time).
In time, Royal
became intrigued with the dogs.
Once he
started crawling, Royal would enter the dogs’ domain, and sometimes hug them
like they were little stuffed animals.
When Royal began walking, he seemed to fancy himself as one of the
dogs.
They were fine with Royal feasting
on their dry dog food (which they didn’t really seem to like that much anyway),
and Royal was fine with Brody and Darla camping beneath his high chair so he
could drop food for them while bending over to watch them go crazy for his
latest offering.
(When Brad and Whitney
were visiting in March 2013, we found Royal and Beckham in the utility room
with hands and cheeks filled with dried dog food, as though they had found the
proverbial mother lode of treats.
Royal
never lost his taste for dog food.)
Royal’s first words were:
Go and
Darla.
Both related to those dogs, which I suppose
is fitting.
(The word
Go
is what Kelli would do when she simply needed the dogs to vacate the vicinity
immediately.
All they needed from her
was one word:
Go, and they listened.
Well, Brody listened.
He always went away on the first command and
landed in his bed.
Darla was a different
story.
She would usually take a few
steps in the direction of her bed, walking with Brody, but would usually take a
short little detour and return.
It was
rare to get Darla to actually
Go with just one command.
She was far too reluctant to leave the
family.)
Royal got to where he would say
Darla whenever he saw any dog.
He would even call Kelli
Darla.
 |
| A very festive Brody, December 2012 |
At the end of each day, we would have family scripture
reading and prayer, followed by our family cheer.
The dogs picked up on the routine.
They knew that event signaled the end of the
day.
As we would kneel down to pray in
the evenings, Brody would quietly begin his walk to bed (he knew what was
coming next, and did not seem concerned about going outside for one last potty
break).
Darla, on the other hand, would stay
with us, savoring every moment she could get with the family.
(Brody and Darla were so much like Eeyore and
Tigger.
That comparison never got old.)
Whenever it was time to go outside for a
potty break, Darla was quick to leap into action, while Brody sometimes had to
be forced outside (almost pried from his bed).
When they were done outside, Brody and Darla would camp by the back
door, sometimes give short little barks to let us know they were done and ready
to join the family.
Darla would occasionally
resort to whining and scratching on the back door.
(She was always more assertive than
Brody.)
Then, once the back door would
open, just a little, Brody and Darla would just shove it open (no way they were
going to hesitate in case anyone happened to change their mind about letting
them back in).
 |
| Darla hanging with Kelli in the backyard |
We had a few doggy accidents here and there, which I
guess is just part of having dogs.
They
were really far and few between, limited to our downstairs office.
I learned to be more careful about feeding
the dogs from the kitchen, because the subsequent vomiting on the carpet is not
so cool.
We did not have a doggy door,
so they needed our help getting in and outside.
For the most part, they were great.
We had a few problems with digging in the backyard initially, where the
dogs would find sprinkler heads and chew them up.
Of course, I complained about it.
Kelli went after them, as though they could
understand her.
In a strange way, I
think they did.
It did not take long
before Brody and Darla were cured of their sprinkler digging and chewing.
Kelli made sure of that.
She ordered it, and they obeyed.
The last thing Brody and Darla wanted to do
was disappoint Kelli.
She was their
everything, their world.
Brody and Darla loved visiting Mom and Dad’s house, and
hanging out with Luke and Romeo. Luke
was less interested in the doggy parties than Romeo. At first, the four dogs would run around the
house like crazy, but Luke would then break away to return to his place next to
Dad in his office or wherever else Dad might be. Romeo, on the other hand, enjoyed hanging out
with his new friends. We had some
gatherings at the Pine Valley cabin, where the dogs got to run around freely
(although any doggy accidents were blamed on Brody and Darla . . . even though
we all know it was Romeo, who makes a habit out of doing his business inside
the house). Mom would complain about Brody and Darla
being right under her feet in the kitchen. That is where you would always find
them if there was any kitchen activity.
Brody was pretty much a dud in life for the exception of four
circumstances: 1) he is playing protector (barking); 2) he is getting any
attention from Kelli; 3)Darla is engaging him to play; or 4) I enter the kitchen. Whatever Brody thought of me, whatever
reservations he had about me regarding our relationship were completely tossed
aside when it came to food. Whenever
there was a possibility that some morsel might come his way, Brody gave his
full attention, studying my every move.
There were times when I actually thought he could read my mind by
carefully watching me, reaching some kind of sophisticated, scientific
calculation as to when, how, what and where I would be dropping food onto the
kitchen floor. That was clearly his
forte. Darla would sit back and play off
Brody. She would let him do the work,
then swoop in and get first crack at the food.
There were occasions when Darla would turn her nose up at food, such as
a marshmallow, grits, etc. Brody would
then kind of shyly walk up to the item, rather nonchalantly, and eat it. Brody was a much less discriminating eater
than Darla (which explains the general physical difference between the two:
again Brody = Eeyore (fat and waddling), Darla = Tigger (skinny and bouncy
active)).
 |
| Brody and Darla prepare for a sled ride with Kelli, Maralea and Royal, December 2012 |
As Royal began walking, he was often drawn to the
sleeping/eating quarters of Brody and Darla.
Sometimes he could be a little rough with the dogs, but they would
either quietly take it or anticipate his arrival by quickly zigging as Royal
was zagging in order to avoid being strangled.
Sadly, over time, it became apparent that Brody and Darla might be
better off in another living situation.
Royal would hit at the dogs on occasion and we would have to remind him
to be
soft and
nice. Brody
and Darla were very patient with Royal
 |
| Royal and Beckham invade the dog dish, March 2013 (notice Royal's puffy cheeks - yum, yum) |
On April 12, 2013, Kelli posted the following on
Facebook: “Sadly, I think I'm at the point where I need to get rid of my
dogs (two mini Dachshunds ). I would
like to keep them together, locally if possible, and to a good home. If you know of a family who might be
interested please let me know!” I do
not know how much of Kelli’s decision related to my complaining about the dogs,
but I am pretty sure I had a lot to do with it.
There was no timetable to place Brody and Darla, but Kelli had a goal of
June in mind. I was not sad about the
prospect of being without Brody and Darla.
I basically coexisted with them.
They knew it. We were not pals,
but I was good to them at the same time.
 |
| Darla was okay with Royal invading her space |
A few weeks ago, as Maralea, Kelli and Royal were walking
Brody and Darla in the neighborhood, they were approached by a man who was
impressed with the dogs. He asked if he
could pet them. The gentleman said he
was visiting a friend, and told Maralea and Kelli that he knew a couple that
had lost a Dachshund that looked much like Brody, noting that they had been in
mourning since their dog’s passing.
Kelli mentioned that she was in the process of trying to place the dogs
together in a good home. Shortly
thereafter, Kelli was put in touch with Walter and Elsie Steigman. She spoke with them on the phone and learned
that their dog had passed away about a year ago, that they were thinking about
getting another dog but were not sure if they could handle two. They agreed to have a trial weekend
with the dogs on May 10-12. Before the trial,
I reminded Kelli that she did not have to give the dogs away, that she could
keep them. I wanted it to be her
decision . . . not ours. Maralea and I
were out of town on May 10, 2013, when Kelli delivered the dogs to the
Steigmans. I felt bad about that, as I
learned of Kelli returning home crying by herself, without having anyone around
to console her. I know that must have
been very hard for her. Kelli’s plan was
to return to the Steigman home in a few days and deliver the rest of the dog
things if they decided to keep Brody and Darla.
Of course, there were times that Royal would go wandering down the
hallway home of Brody and Darla looking for them, calling out: “Darla!? Darla?”
The initial separation was quite painful.
 |
| Kelli and Royal prepare to take Brody and Darla for one more walk |
Kelli called the Steigmans on Sunday, May 12, 2013,
to see how the trial was going.
Walter said that it was great, that Brody and Darla were seated on Elsie’s
lap at that moment, and that Kelli “would probably have to pry them away
from us at this point.” That news
was rather bittersweet for Kelli. It was
really a best case scenario for Brody and Darla, being in a home with a couple
that absolutely loves Dachshunds and has nothing else to do but take care of
them. But, Kelli also would have been
happy to take them back. Kelli made
arrangements for us to visit the Steigmans the following evening, where we
would deliver the rest of the dogs’ things and take them on one last walk. I knew it would be an emotionally heavy
experience for Kelli and was glad to be there for her this time. However, what I did not anticipate was how
much it impacted me.
As we entered the Steigman home, Walter welcomed us with
a bright smile. Brody and Darla went
crazy for Kelli. They were delighted to
see her again. Walter said: “They
show us a lot of affection, but nothing like that.” Truly, Kelli had a special bond with Brody
and Darla that they shared with no one else.
It was fun watching Royal. He was
far more interested in exploring the Steigman home than playing with Brody and
Darla. And, it did not take Royal long
to locate the dog food dish, which he knew how to operate, removing the top lid
which allowed him to dig in both hands deep into the dried food pile and fill
his mouth with that disgusting stuff.
(What a crack up.) We got Brody
and Darla ready for a walk. I said the
word “walk” and Brody started yelping with excitement. Kelli got the leashes on the dogs, and Royal
picked up the leashes like he was ready to say mush! As we took Brody and Darla outside, I think
the Steigmans were a bit concerned that we might change our mind and choose to
take them back. We assured them we would
return soon. Maralea put Royal in the
stroller and tied the leashes to the stroller.
Kelli then walked in front and the dogs pulled the stroller like a
couple of Santa’s reindeer, both equally eager to catch up with Kelli. In fact, they pulled with so much force that
they nearly toppled the stroller.
Fortunately, Maralea caught it in time.
My role was to play photographer.
I was taking pictures, making a video of these last moments together
with Brody and Darla. It was fun at
first. However, as we turned to make our
way back to the Steigman home, I began to feel heavy and sad.
 |
| Kelli with Brody and Darla, saying goodbye to these wonderful friends who helped her so much |
We took a few more pictures just outside the Steigman
home, then as we returned into their home, we delivered things like the dogs’
pillows, blankets and play toys. Brody
and Darla immediately went to lay on them.
I showed the Steigmans how the dogs would obey to words like: “blanket” and
“kennel.” I opened the kennel we
brought with us and said: “Kennel.”
Brody and Darla immediately raced into the kennel, with tails wagging,
as though they were thrilled to think we would now be taking them back
home. I then had to coax them out of the
kennel, back to their blankets. As we
prepared to leave, Walter handed Kelli a check for $200. She did not ask for any money, but it was
very thoughtful and sweet. We took some pictures of Kelli with the
Steigmans, then prepared to leave. As we
were starting to walk out the door, Walter gave Kelli the stuffed animal
Dachshund they had kept on their couch since their dog had passed away a year
earlier. It had provided them with great
comfort in quiet moments. Now, with
Brody and Darla, they did not need it.
However, perhaps recognizing that Kelli would need some comfort, they
provided their precious stuffed animal to Kelli. As we walked to the front door, Brody and
Darla were wagging their tails, following us.
Then, as Kelli stopped in the doorway and turned around to say goodbye,
Darla stopped about six feet from the door.
She looked at Kelli, then up at the Steigmans, then again at Kelli. Darla then sadly dropped her head slowly, as
though she knew that this situation was now permanent. It was all I could do to keep from crying at
that scene. Those dogs so loved Kelli. She so loved them. They had given and meant so much and to each
other. Now, however, they both were
moving on with new chapters in their lives.
Kelli noted that Elsie Steigman had a dramatic change in countenance
since they met a few days earlier, that she radiated with happiness and even
seemed more healthy. Clearly, Brody and
Darla were a blessing to the Steigmans.
That provided Kelli with great comfort, to think that she and those
precious dogs may have been a direct answer to prayers. Also, it is nice to know that Brody and Darla
are not far away, and that we can visit them any time. The Steigmans have provided us with an open
invitation.
 |
Kelli with Walter and Elsie Steigman, the very happy new owners of Brody & Darla
(Notice the stuffed toy Dachshund in Kelli's right hand . . . and Royal getting into the dog food at the bottom left) |
We stopped to have some Nielsen’s Custard on the way home
from the Steigmans Monday evening. We
all needed something to help us feel a little better. My heart was weighed down with guilt, feeling
that Brody and Darla were now gone (at least partially at my insistence). I did not sleep well Monday night. I woke up Tuesday morning with an achy heart. David called to discuss some issues he was
having with his car, and the subject of Brody and Darla came up. As I described our experience of leaving them
with the Steigmans the night before, tears welled up in my eyes, my voice
cracked, and I found myself unable to speak.
I was so incredibly emotional.
David probably thought I had gone mad.
He had heard me complain about the dogs many times. (Sheesh, Dad, get it together.) Later, as I went into work, I was relating
the experience of giving away Brody and Darla to my assistant, Linda, and later
to Greg. On each occasion, I had to
fight back tears. In fact, I simply
could not talk about it. The emotions
were just so powerful. I had a
deposition on Wednesday morning and met with the witness to prepare. I happened to mention my experience with
Brody and Darla, and learned that the witness has three dogs. He could identify with the feelings I was
expressing. Once again, I had to fight
back the tears as I related details surrounding Monday evening’s last walk of
Brody and Darla.
 |
| Darla studies the kitchen area for food |
As I write today, I feel more at peace. Yes, emotions were high a few days earlier,
but only because I so clearly saw the blessings that have come into my life
through Brody and Darla. They comforted
our dear sweet daughter in so many of her dark and lonely moments, helping her
mend through a long, painful divorce, and giving us all a joy in our home that
we would never have experienced without them.
Yes, I complained about them. Complaining is, sadly, something I do
quite well. But, with all the love,
candor and appreciation I can muster, I extend my deepest gratitude to Brody
and Darla, for unconditionally loving Kelli and Royal, for even accepting
Maralea and me into their special, tight knit circle of friends, and for
sharing their healing powers with the Steigmans, who can now feel joy again
with the sounds and activities of Dachshunds again in their home. It was a very selfless act for Kelli to
deliver Brody and Darla to the Steigmans.
She loved them deeply, found them a good home, and said goodbye with the
hope and expectation that she will have them again in the next life. Surely, Heavenly Father would never allow for
such close bonds to exist between mankind and dogs if such loving devotion
cannot continue forever. Thank you,
Brody and Darla. You won my heart
(although I would never before admit it).
I love you two, too.
 |
| Brody gives Kelli a kiss, April 2009 |
Brody and Darla chasing Kelli and Royal at the Pine Valley cabin, December 2012
Our last walk on May 13, 2013
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