Find a lucky clover

“I found you a four-leaf clover, Mom.” I have heard these words dozens of times over the years, so many times that I can hardly form them on this keyboard.
My son, Nicholas could find a four-leaf clover just about anywhere and anytime. When he was a little boy and would get underfoot, I would tell him I needed a four-leaf clover. He would scamper out in the yard, be gone for about 20 to 30 minutes (which would account for time being side tracked) and come in to present me the treasure. If only I had kept those wilted gifts from over the years. The little green clovers have stuck to refrigerators in at least three of our houses, marked my place in many books, given me luck taped on school desks, and the latest one withered in front of my license in my wallet until I threw it away.
While the little green clovers are but a memory, I have a bright and shiny Clover radiating happiness and joy to me every day, waking me up at three in the morning, and even lying at my feet as I write. Last Thanksgiving, Nick had just transferred to Middle Tennessee State from his former school in Arkansas. Because he had dorm life behind him, we all agreed the time was right to make his dreams come true and give him a dog. Not just a dog, but his dog – one he would train in his own way, take to the dog park, and allow on the sofa.
We told him Christmas would be the puppy of his choice, so in Nick Fender fashion, he began the research. What breed would be suitable for apartment life, have a peppy personality, and absolutely most importantly, serve as a hiking trail companion? We all fell in love with Elise and Scott’s sweet Riley, a wheaten terrier. The more Nick researched into the perfect dog breed for him, the wheaten kept creeping back into the picture.
We found a breeder nearby in Mt. Juliet, TN with a brand new litter only a couple days old. As I entered the warm living room, the babies were warming on the floor in front of the hearth. I saw bald hamsters, Nick saw love. He reserved pick of the litter and we returned home to prepare for the eight-week wait.
Each week, Nicholas visited the breeder and got to know all of the puppies. He made his choice early on – the only black female pup. He would stop by after classes, then regale me with stories about how this puppy was different. Special. She was independent, he told me. When the others were chasing a toy, she found one of her own and played with it. She was inventive, he shared. She could always find a way out of the box.
Stories kept coming, as did the musing over what to name her. My favorite of his names was “Squirrel.” One day, on the way out of the breeder’s home, he bent down, spotted a four-leaf clover, and his little puppy had a name. From that moment on, each time he referred to her, he proudly proclaimed “Clover.”
Clover came and the boy and his dog bonded. He trained her after carefully researching for the best technique. She rested in his bed when he studied. Until she was big enough for walks, he carried her in the pocket of his hoodie.
I always said the two were like peanut butter and jelly. When Clover was big enough for a challenging hike, Nick took her to Virgin Falls. She loved it and he sent me a picture of her on the trail. Sadly, that was his last hike, and he took it with his beloved Clover.
I have loved Clover dearly from the very first time I saw the little black fur ball weave across the kitchen floor, but she means so much more to me now. Clover is the living and breathing representation of Nicholas. When she looks at me with her button eyes, I know those are the eyes that looked lovingly at her “daddy.” When she runs circles around our Michigan yard, I picture Nick walking lap after lap around our Tennessee pool. When Clover lays her head in my lap, I feel a hug from my boy.
If tragedy strikes, or more likely, when bad times come, it is so important to find a light that shines through the darkness. Last night, I looked out at the cold, clear sky and saw a single bright star. I smiled as I looked up and said “hi Buddy.” We need those lights that don’t make the darkness go away, but give us a reason to smile – a reason to look ahead.
Legend has it that a four-leaf clover brings good luck. One thing I know for sure is that our four-legged Clover is a pot of gold.