A Magnolia's Heart Beats

The Story of Wilson - updated with photos at the bottom

A few have asked about the story behind Wilson's name. They say the name reminds them of the ball on Castaway. That's exactly what he was named after.

Steve and I had a toy poodle named Copper for 10 years. I had no children on earth of my own, so Copper was my furbaby. I loved him more than you could possibly imagine. He was sweet, gentle, funny, mischevious, and most of all, loving. He cared. He was our little gentleman. He had such good manners, if you don't count the time he got the refrigerator door open and wolfed down a whole plate of turkey or the time he consumed a pound of raw hamburger meat. Or ate cookies in Kristyn's bed, under her covers so he wouldn't be seen. Or got the donuts off the table and kept peeking in the den to see if we could hear the sack rattling. The peeking is what gave him away. Okay, so maybe he didn't have the best manners in the world, but he was still so sweet. When I had my hysterectomy, I taught him that when I said, "Step lightly," that meant to walk on any part of my body except my stomach. He remembered that until the day he died, even though it had been a few years before.

After he was put to sleep due to suffering from an autoimmune illness for a few weeks and there was just no hope, we were grief-stricken, as you can imagine. 10 years of having Copper in our lives and suddenly gone, coupled with a newly empty nest, left our house very quiet. Steve and I were both just going through the motions. We talked one day about getting a new dog but felt as though we'd be betraying Copper if we did so soon. The house just became too empty, though.

Fifteen days after Copper died, we brought Wilson home. We talked about what to name him on the way home, and I suggested Wilson, after the Volleyball in the movie Castaway. Wilson helped Chuck through some tough times on the island, and I reasoned that our Wilson would help us in the same way, giving us someone...Wilson it was!

Wilson slept on Steve's head the first night he came home. I don't know why he felt comfortable sleeping that way, but he did. Up above the pillow, butted up against Steve's head, that's where you'd find him for many nights. As he got older, he'd move farther down in the bed. His personality began to shine when he was little. When he walked, he "high-stepped". His front paws would lift way up off the ground, almost as though he were marching. When he jumped, he would practically hang in the air for a second and sail to where he was landing. He loves the water hose. When I was watering grass that first summer, I saw him come running, full speed ahead, and jump off the patio racing toward me. He jumped through the water until he was exhausted. The next day he did it again. As he's gotten older, he's not that fond of it, but if you catch him in just the right mood, he will do it.

He has three bears. Little Bear, Smokey Bear, and Dolly Bear. He loves his bears. One of the three is always with him. He carries them around like women carry purses. When he gets sleepy, they are his security blanket and pacifier. He climbs on top of them, grabs a mouthful of the back of their head and either licks or sucks. He makes biscuits like a cat (kneads) with his front paws as he drifts off to sleep. When we come in from work he has to show us his Bear. Every time. We greet Bear like we do him. The bears are his babies.

Wilson is so cute. He's my little hillbilly puppy. He is missing a few teeth due to a genetic defect and others are crooked. His back legs are a little taller than his front ones. He has an overbite. He's PERFECT.

He helped us through the grief process, bringing joy back into our very quiet lives, and we are grateful for Wilson.

I'll post some pics tonight in this post, so be sure to check back then.

Updated - pics added: