Sitting on the Back Step
Sitting on the Back Step
Pull up a chair and sit awhile
September 10, 2026
Dear Friend:
After the War my Dad came home to Lancaster, PA eager to get his life back on track. Dad never really talked much about his personal life before he married my mom. I do remember him telling us kids about the Day he found our first dog. He was walking by a Pet Shop and saw a puppy in the window. He quickly walked into the Pet Shop and scooped up that adorable puppy and bought him home. At that point he was still living at home having just returned from Europe. He reported to us that his mom was delighted with the puppy.
The puppy was a terrier mix, all white with black spots, not like a Dalmatian, there were not as many spots. He also had one completely white ear and one completely black ear. My Dad named him Blackie. Dad told us that Blackie was so little when he brought him home that he put him right inside the pocket of his Army jacket.
Later after my parents were married they were living in an apartment. Blackie did not particularly like one of the neighbor dogs and got in a scuffle with the dog. Blackie wandered into the apartment with a bite in his neck. Blackie hid under their bed and would not come out from under. At that point my mother was pregnant with my sister and could not pull him out. My mother called my father at work and he came home to take Blackie to the vet. The dog survived.
I still remember the dog getting into the back yard pool with us kids. Holding him in the back seat of the car on trips to the beach and various picnics to local parks. I can still see Blackie and my Dad sitting on the back step and listening to a ball game. The neighbors cat Monkey and Blackie had a love hate relationship. Each would sit on opposite sides of my Dad and occasionally lean back and growl or hiss at the other. They never really got into a fight, my Dad would not have tolerated that.
Several years later, Blackie developed cancer and we had to make the difficult decision to have him put down. It took some time, but eventually we got another dog. This time, it was a poodle we named Gigi.
Much like I wrote in my story The Tree Outside My Window, everything has a season. Even our pets.
One pet doesn't replace another. Each one comes into our lives for a different season and serves a different purpose. What matters most is the love and companionship we share while they are with us—and the memories they leave behind when they are gone.
And somehow, those memories stay with us.
Blackie is still sitting on that back step beside my Dad, listening to a ball game.
Until next time, stay well, stay safe, and stay connected to those you love.
Be well,
Emma
Emma is the voice behind Sharing with Seniors, where every story starts with a memory. Through stories of family, friendships, music, traditions, hometowns, and life's simple pleasures, she invites readers to pull up a chair, stay awhile, and remember the moments that have shaped their lives.