A Tribute

If you had told me two years ago that a rat would be the first pet my new husband and I would share, I would have laughed in your face. If you had told me that a black rodent would give us hours of entertainment in our home, I would have thought you were crazy. If you had told me we would care deeply for this rat and offer our affection and love I would have said, “Eew.” If you had told me that I would mourn his passing and shed tears at his grave, well, you’d have been right.

Lab rat Number Ten was timid and small. I chose him because he was the least scary looking of them all, and it still took me four days to touch him. Chris came with me to my labs to watch me reinforce the little critter’s behaviors, and very quickly fell in love. On the last day of my psychology class, I took him home in a Dexter shoe box. And then? Well, see for yourself…

Dexter died today. It’s hard to imagine our lives without him, because we’ve been a threesome now since we were first married. We’ll miss him climbing up our legs to see what we’re eating. We’ll miss the shock he always gave our guests. We’ll miss the piles of food and papers he’d hide under the bed, couch, and bureau. We’ll miss seeing him dart across the kitchen like he was being chased by a monster. We’ll miss his tiny hands. His soft fur. His beady eyes staring back at us. We’ll even miss finding pieces of fabric from Chris’ chewed up pillowcase. Although Dexter’s final resting place is by a tree in the back yard, his memory and the joy he brought will forever reside within our hearts.

Dexter Valentine Nov. 2007 - Feb. 2010