Ruff

Chuck comes to the conclusion that he must attempt to flee the island if he is to survive.  Wilson is there with him to plan, strategise and finally escape the island's clutch.  As they navigate across the Pacific ocean, Wilson and Chuck face it together, whatever life can throw at them.  As exhaustion sets in, Chuck looses focus for one brief moment, and Wilson is washed overboard.

Chuck instantly realizes what has happened, and in an emotional scene tries his best to rescue Wilson from the sea.  In the end all he can cry out is, "I'm sorry".  Wilson is lost for good.

This week we have lost a member of our family.  His name is Ruff.  He is a small stuffed yellow-lab which Amy purchased for Robert when we were in Ketchikan, Alaska.  The dog cost less than $5, in fact I did not want Amy to buy it.  Robert was too young, he did not care, and there were other things to spend the money on.

As Robert grew up, the animal was given a name.  Ruff.  Ruff did not show up for a long while.  But at some point Amy and I noticed that Robert starting walking around the house with Ruff.  At nap time, Ruff was requested.  After the nap, Ruff was moved to wherever the afternoon activities would be held.  Ruff went with us on all of our adventures.  He made it to 3 countries, more than 20 states in the US, saw the space shuttle launch in Florida, and thousands of miles through one ocean and numerous seas.

Every time we visited family, Ruff was there, probably eating dinner with us.  If a trip was made to the mall, the park, or store -- Ruff was there.  Ruff ruled the pet animals above all others.  No other animal was held as near and dear as Ruff.  When we tried to teach Robert the concept of "favorite", in that you could only have "one" favorite.  Robert told us that "Ruff is my favorite".

On one trip to the store, Ruff was accidentally dropped by Robert.  At that moment when you want something, but can not get it, you realize how important this thing has become to you and your family.  On that day we were lucky that the store's management had found and stored our Ruff.

This week Amy, Robert, and Ruff made another trip out into the world.  Nothing special about this trip or that day for that matter.  Ruff had woken at his normal time with Robert, and then proceeded to have dry cereal and juice at the table.  Later in the day he had gone on a walk to the park, played some put-put, and then took an early swim at the pool.  Tired from the days activities he had taken a long nap with Robert, on the same pillow, sharing the same blanket.  With the air conditioner on, it gets cool in Robert's room, but Ruff is kept warm by the arm of his best friend lovingly wrapped around him.

Between the taxi ride to the grocery store and the way home, something went horribly wrong.  When I arrived back at the boat later in the evening, all that Amy could tell me was that Ruff was gone.

As I watched Robert for the next several hours, Amy retraced their earlier steps to the taxi stand, and finally back to the store.  She spoke with the store's management, workers, and guards.  She tried to track down the exact taxi cab driver, but his shift had changed just as it had for all the workers in the store.  She looked in vane in all of the shopping carts, in the parking lot, down the isles.

Ruff was gone.

Robert and I met Amy at the front of the hotel when she came back.  Robert tried to take the news as best he could.  He was much braver than either Amy or I.  He told us that Ruff was playing with other kids now.  He told us that another dog of his, Carl, could be the "new Ruff".  We all thought that would be a great plan. 

Robert grew silent, sitting on the hotel curb.  He looked up at us and asked again, more quietly this time, "Where's Ruff ?"  He did not expect us to answer, at 2 1/2 he new that Ruff was gone.

What started as a $5 piece of stuffed cotton, had grown into a true member of our family.  A real dog that ate and drank "real" food could not have been loved more.

Wherever you are tonight Ruff, we will always love you.  And we are sorry.

-Mark, Amy, and Robert