A girl's best friend

Maddie Comiskey

12/12/99 – 5/14/2012

I said goodbye to a sister today.

Exaggeration? Absolutely not. Since the day we picked her up from the breeder, and spent the first night sleeping on the laundry room floor with her, she’s been so much more than just our pet. Maddie has undoubtedly been a family member.

Dad, Me, Uncle Tom, Mom, Maddie, Bri, Aunt Margie

But, as Eulogies go, this isn’t meant to be a sad post. It’s a happy one, a celebratory one. Because Maddie lived the best life a dog could ask for, no if’s and’s or but’s about it. And in a very non-cliché way, she’s now in such a better place. An amazing place. A place where there are no such things as leashes or thunderstorms. Where All-you-can-eat Iam’s Buffets sit on almost every corner and life is essentially one big dog park. I am positive that she’s much happier now. 

Her favorite chair.

For the past 12 years, she traveled more than some people probably get the opportunity to, from Wisconsin to Iowa to Indiana. Volleyball tournaments, violin camps, track meets... hiking, boating, you name it. But her first love was soccer, and to this day she still has a scarred snout from dribbling the soccer ball around the backyard. She was even known to occasionally slip out of her collar and dash onto the soccer field at my sister Bri’s soccer games, wanting desperately to get in on the action.

Boating... she hated it.

Hiking at Starved Rock State Park...she loved it.

More popular than I was in middle school, Maddie will be missed by many of her friends. From her best friend, a Jack Russell Terrier named Sammi, to walks with her big yellow lab friend Striker, she had her fair share of play dates with the neighborhood pups. But there was absolutely nothing that got her more amped than a visit from Grandma, because everyone knew that was a guaranteed treat or two.

Striker & Maddie

Grandma's coming?!

Always patient, no matter what kind of outfit we dressed her up in, or position we posed her in for pictures. She owned more dog scarves than I own fashion scarves. But most importantly, she loved in a way that humans can only dream of; a perfect love. Similar, but not the same, to the way we are loved by God. Unconditional, and so raw. Tail always wagging.

Her Old Navy coat

Throw back

Not looking too pumped about being in a laundry basket.

Our time on this earth is short; even shorter through the eyes of a dog. But Maddie embraced life harder than I could ever even hope to. She lived a beautiful, joy-filled life, and I’m so honored to call myself her owner, and her sister. 

I’ll miss ya Mads. See you when my time comes down the line… meet me at the gates. Tail wagging.