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My Best Friend, Sally Bug!

Susan, a mother of three talented riders, who all, including herself take riding lessons from me was getting on her horse one day. She smiled a huge devious grin and asked if she had ever told me about Jake, her son, and his best friend Sally Bug. Of coarse this piqued my interest.

“No, I can’t say I've heard that one,” I said sitting on the mounting block waiting to hear this story.

“Well,” she said, “Jake must have been about three or four, and had a typical fascination with bugs. He would go around the garden and find all kinds of bugs. One day he came in with this giant soldier beetle.”

“This is Sally Bug,” Jake declared but of coarse it sounded more like ‘Sawwy Bug,’ because he couldn't say his L’s well. “She’s my best friend!” He stated.

Being the good mom that she is, she controlled her revulsion and said hello to Sally Bug. With that Jake went on to play the rest of the day with Sally bug in his hand.

Several times he proclaimed that this was his ‘best friend’. Susan just smiled.

Later that night, the family was collected in the living room watching a movie. Jake still had his best friend Sally Bug. He was in his pajamas ready for bed with Sally Bug carefully cradled in his right hand. He sat on the couch with his sock covered feet sticking out and kicking aimlessly. A bowl of popcorn in his lap.

Susan wondered how long this Sally Bug thing was going to last, but could see no harm in letting him keep the bug for now.

Suddenly there was a terrified scream! Jake burst into tears!

Susan leapt out of her chair and crossed over to him.

“What’s wrong honey?” she asked almost terrified to find out.

“I ate Sawwy Bug!” he cried! Starting another round of sobs and crocodile tears.

He had been eating popcorn with his left hand out of the bowl in his lap and had been so engrossed with the movie that he had forgotten what was in his right hand.

Susan, mortified to think that her son had just ate a bug, was trying to get the black chunks and pieces
out of his mouth as fast as possible.

“My son, ate a bug,” she kept thinking trying to remain calm and not vomit.

“I ate my Best Friend!” Jake sobbed, devastated my his error. “I ate my best friend!”

It wasn't until the shock of her son eating a bug had worn off, and the sobbing Jake had finally gone off to sleep that the humor of the moment struck her and her husband.


By now, I have nearly fallen off the mounting block, I have tears streaming down my face, my cheeks
hurt from laughing so hard and I don’t think I can talk.

“That is the funniest thing I have ever heard!” I squeaked out between tears and howls of laughter. “Poor Jake!”

“Hey, I asked Jake, the other night, if he remembered Sally Bug.” Susan said several days later when I saw Susan for her next lesson. He got very quiet and serious, and said “I really loved that bug!”
This set us both on another round of laughter.

To all of us who have loved and lost, I say “God Bless you!” and to Jake who was mortified to find out his mother had passed on his personal tragedy, I say… “Thanks Jake! It was a beautiful story! And the best laugh I have had in years! Thanks for sharing it with me.”

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