I remembered the first time I met my mommy. My brother and I were running in the grass chasing something called a ball around the place. Next, I heard this soft voice talking to me; then she swooped me into her arms. Oh, she had such a nice sounding voice, which grabbed my attention. It sounded like “blah blah blah” since I couldn’t understand human yet. She found my tickle spot as she rubbed my tummy. I couldn’t help trying to scratch where she was rubbing me. Oh, it felt so good! I didn’t want her to stop. I wanted to tell my brother how great it felt. But wait, she was taking me away from my brother. I barked out for him but I couldn’t get to him. Wait, wait, I gotta tell my brother bye. Please let me say goodbye to him. I heard him bark back at me telling me he will see me again, I could count on it.

As my new mom was driving away, I got to sit next to her and this other person. Both smelled funny, nothing like my brother, but like that person who always fed me and my brother. There were so many new sounds and smells that I didn’t know what to do. I was getting tired and I wanted to sleep next to my brother. He always made me feel so safe. I started crying for him.

I woke up when my new mom picked me up. My new mom started calling me "Bonkers." Little did she know my brother called me crazy. I think the name seemed to fit me to a T. She brought me into what she called a house and placed me on the ground. Hey, where’s the grass so I could play? My feet are cold. Suddenly, someone my size greets me and welcomes me.

“Hi, I’m Buttons. You’re gonna love it here!” Ah, a familiar smell, I thought. Buttons was this little black dog that had curly hair. She was bouncing around me. When she stopped, she started pulling my tail. We bowed down towards each other and started rough-housing. “You’ll soon meet the others that run around here. We are all one big happy family.”

As the day progresses, each of my other new playmates came over to welcome me to the house. There was Noodles. He was a bit older than me. His hair dragged the ground when he walked. He didn’t play that much, but he must have been the leader here because when he spoke, everybody seemed to listen. There were Yummy and Cuddles. They were older and wiser than me and I learned to listen to what they told me to do.

I was so excited about my new brothers and sisters, especially Buttons. She and I became close friends. At bedtime, we would either curl around each other in our doggy bed or up on our mommies’ bed. (Buttons’ mommy was different from mine). Our daytime activities were so much fun. Sometimes the grass in the backyard was too high and we would play hide and seek. On occasions, since I wasn’t sure of our play area, I would get lost. I would cry out, “Buttons help me” and she would come bouncing over the tall grass like a bunny rabbit. The only time we had problems was at dinner time when she would push me away from my dish and gobble it up herself. We would start growling at each other trying to show who was the boss, but I normally lost, crying for mommy to help me. As soon as I made a whimper my mommy would come running. She would pick me up in her arms and scold Buttons. I giggled at times because sometimes I was the one who started it. Many times, I started the little fight, but in my mommy’s eyes I could do no wrong. She would call me her perfect little angel. I laughed many times when I heard that because I was could be a little devil when I wanted to be.

Buttons and I started growing up. We were still cute but getting bigger. Buttons tried teaching me to sit up and beg. She taught me that the easiest way would be jumping and stretching upwards on my backs feet. “Hey, I could do this if I waved my front paws in front of me.” From a distance, I heard my mommy laughing saying, “Oh my, my baby girl learned how to sit up and beg. She’s such a smart cookie.” She sounded so nice when she was saying that. Oh, I knew then I just wanted to make her happy.

One morning, I didn’t see Noodles. I barked and barked for him, calling out to him, frantically searching for him. I hunted through the grass, I went to his bed but he was nowhere. He was my protector when I needed it. “Ah, little one, he is gone, but you will see him again when you go to the Rainbow Bridge,” Cuddles told me. “The Rainbow Bridge is a great place. We get to go there when we leave our mommies and daddies who take care of us. Then, we wait for them to come for us again. While we wait, we are united with all our brothers, sisters, and friends who left us. I’ve heard it’s a wonderful place to live. It’s like we are puppies again, running and jumping and no longer hurting.”

When Buttons and I weren’t playing, it was my time with mommy, Oh, how my mommy loved me. We would go outside and take rides in the car, if it was not too hot outside. Mommy was a people watcher and I had so much fun watching out the window, sitting up on my mommy, waving to all the people. There were a lot who would come over and tell me I’m cute. Mommy called me an attention grabber because I adored all the interest people gave to me. It made me so happy when they came by and talked to me in that sweet voice momma used. The little ones smelled different than the big ones. Some smelled like the dirt Buttons and I would play in when we roughhoused and others smelled like the candy Mommy liked eating. The big ones smelled like trees or the flowers in my yard, things in that order. If I was lucky, someone would pet me or scratch behind my ears, saying “ah, so adorable, she’s a little cutie" and "can I have one?” However, some would just walk by me without looking at me whatsoever. I gazed into my mommy’s eyes wanting to cry and she told me, “sweetie, unfortunately there are some people who are immune to your cuteness.” At least some thought I was cute. I loved those special days with my mommy.

Time went by and little by little my playmates I grew up with would disappear and new ones came. There was one of us, a white dog named Rosie, she was a typical bully. She wanted my mommy all to herself. Whenever she saw me, she would rush up to me, either butt her head against mine or if nobody was looking would jump me from behind and wrestle me to the floor. She would scare me making me run and hide from her. Why would she be so mean to me? There was plenty of love to go around. Maybe my mommy could cuddle with her a little more.

One day, Buttons told me that she might be leaving soon, her time was close. I begged her not to leave and stay with me always. She told me we would be together again soon. I’ll be waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge. I will know when you will be coming and I will be the first one to greet you. Buttons was right, she disappeared a while later. Oh, how I missed her, but I had to believe I would see her again. I kept hearing about the Rainbow Bridge, heard it from my brothers and sisters as well as hearing my mommy talking about it. Mommy wouldn’t lie to me so it must be true.

I moped around for what seemed like forever. I never had a sister like Buttons again, but I did have playmates; although I was not playing that much anymore. I was having a hard time sitting up for mommy or climbing up stairs. It was taking me a longer time to get around. Mommy was carrying me a lot around the house. She wasn’t as happy anymore and seemed to have water on her face. I loved licking them off as it was slightly salty and she still smelled so sweet. Mommy, don’t be sad, I’m here, I will never leave you.

A short time later, we went in the car for a ride. Why was Mommy crying? Why do keep telling me you would see me over the Rainbow Bridge? I kept kissing her and wanting her to tell me it will be all right. I closed my eyes as I hear my mommy crying.

When I woke back up, everything was so different. There were toys all around and all these new playmates. The sun was shining brightly and there were so many things that I had never seen before. I could run and jump again. Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw Buttons running up to me. She was so happy to see me and we played like we were puppies again. I saw my brother as he rushed up to me and there were my old playmates as well. I got to see Buttons' mommy over in the meadow as I followed her.

“I promised you I would see you again, you are my best friend and sister. You will see how wonderful this place is!” Buttons told me in an excited voice. She didn’t lie, it was gorgeous. But why was Buttons' mommy here? Where was mine? I missed her so much.

All my playmates were back and we had so much fun for such a long time, frolicking around the meadows, getting wet in the beautiful ponds and being able to sit on Buttons’ mommy’s lap. I felt close to my mommy when I did that.

We were always playing together from day one. A little bit of time had passed when I heard a voice from above instructing me to go to the Rainbow Bridge’s front gate as my person was coming. What was a person? But, I did as I was told, making my way to the gate. As I traveled that direction, my little nostrils started quivering: I knew that aroma. That was my mommy’s smell. Where was she? As Buttons was following me, trying to catch up with me, she kept barking, telling me to wait at the Rainbow Bridge; it was time. I didn’t know what she meant, but that wonderful smell was getting closer and its fragrance was getting stronger. As I arrived at the gate, I sat down to wait. All of a sudden, I saw her coming over the hill. Is it my Mommy? It is her! Why can’t I leave the front gate and run to her? My mommy then saw me and she started running in my direction. I never saw her run that fast. As soon as she crossed that gate, I ran and jumped into her arms, kissing her face and licking her tears.

My Mommy kept saying she always believed there was a Rainbow Bridge and she found out it was true. And I got my mommy back!