To My Sherene,
I don’t think any one will ever know what Jake meant to you and me.  If they had the chance to meet him they knew what a fantastic, smart, obedient, sweet dog he was.  They will never know what I know about Jake, and what he meant to us, and especially to you. 
To most, you wanted to buy a dog for the boys.  I didn’t see it at first, but you giving us something that would become both of ours.  He was the first thing that was both of ours, both of ours that we could give and share not just to your boys but to all our kids.  That’s what made him so special and that is what makes this time so hard. I didn’t really want a dog at the time, but you saw how he could pull us all together. It went right over my head.
You knew this from the get go, and now I know why you walked so proudly with him, and showed off his dog catcher trick to any one who was near by when you had treats.  You knew what he meant to both of us, and to all of us.  That is what made him special to me too, although, I wasn’t as quick as you to pick up on it. 
I thought it was just the way he was so sweet, loving and smart. He was truly a joy.  I loved teaching him and taking him everywhere. I loved wrestling with him, I loved making him not look me in the eye at the dinner table, and I loved that he wouldn’t get on the bed while I was around.  I loved the way he pulled Joel through the house, and how we could never keep the carpets straight.  I even learned to love sharing my apples with him.   I loved how he got our paper in the morning and he’d run down the steps so fast to get it that the cars on Rosa would slam on there brakes.  I loved the way he’d take Sunny by the leash and run her about ten times faster then her legs could go, I loved the way he was starting to figure out it was time for him to start watching out for all of us, that that was his job. It was all these things but it was mostly that he was ours to share with our family and friends.
What a year and a half it was. He was fantastic.  He slept through the night with out yelping in only two days.  He was house broken in about two weeks.  He learned to never leave the driveway and he new how to love us like there was no tomorrow.   He loved all our family, especially all the kids; he was so gentle with T.J.’s young kids. He even won my mother over.  It was way to short and it wasn’t fair for such a sweet dog like Jake. 
Most of all it wasn’t fair for you. We’ll just have to continue doing the assignment you gave Jake, which he did so well.
I love you, baby
Thanks for Jake,
Always, Mike