Marcia's beloved pet Lucy

AT FIRST THERE WAS LUCY

At first there was Lucy. Tiny, adorable, everyone’s “little princess.” Then Tucker joined the family, the fulfillment of a long-time wish for Marcia’s 16-year-old son Jeremy. And just recently, Lily arrived to join in the Cota family love. Over the past several years, these three dogs have made Marcia Cota a proud “pet mom,” a mother who adores not only the furry friends who have stolen her family’s hearts, but who also appreciates what the dogs have brought to her family.

“Boys are rough and tumble, and it’s made my ‘mother heart’ sparkle to see the love and responsibility, the compassion – all of those things that happen as a result of having pets in the family. Whenever I see my boys taking the dogs out, playing with them, feeding them, or sitting and cuddling with them, it makes me feel so blessed for everything I have in my life. I’m just happy that it brings out the tenderness in my boys.”

Mother Marcia Cota and her 3 sons

Marcia Cota, who is senior vice president of North American sales for Origami Owl®, is the mother of three sons, Branden age 20, Jeremy, 16 and Nathan, 12. She and her husband Sean decided to get a dog seven years ago, when they welcomed Lucy, a petite and charming shih tzu, to their family. “I don’t want to say she’s the girl I never had,” joked Marcia, “but it was fun to have another girl in the house.”

ALONG CAME TUCKER

For quite some time their middle son Jeremy had asked for a dog of his own, and last summer Mom and Dad acquiesced. Tucker bounded in, an irresistible German shepherd puppy. “We all love him – it’s been the Lucy and Tucker show ever since.”

German Shepard

But just recently, Marcia shared that the family experienced a heart-wrenching loss. Little Lucy was playing one Saturday afternoon and suddenly laid to the side. After rushing to the veterinarian, they learned she had a rare autoimmune disorder. “The following Monday morning, we never thought we’d have to watch her pass. She was like our baby; Nathan, my youngest, didn’t remember life without Lucy; I don’t know the last time I saw my 20-year-old cry. We already thought we knew what pets were to a family dynamic, but that really made me understand the loss of a pet and their unconditional love … how it impacts you.”

AND NOW LILY

Marcia said the next few days were so gloomy around the house, they made a decision. With more love to give, they brought home Lily, a seven-week-old three-pound shorkie (shih tzu and Yorkie mix). “Lily is spunky. She thinks Tucker is her playground. She’ll steal his toys and slip under the couch! We’ll never forget Lucy, but we’re also grateful for Lily. She was part of our transition from sad back to happy.”

Not surprisingly, Marcia’s the kind of mother (and pet mother) whose favorite Origami Owl locket reflects her love for EVERY member of the Cota clan: a wedding ring charm for her husband, her sons’ birthstones, the German Shepherd dog charm, an L charm for Lucy and now Lily, a cross charm for her faith, the Swarovski heart for love, and a plate on back that reads, “Blessed.”

Yorkie

As a direct sales professional who joined Origami Owl in part for the beautiful connections it brings to women’s lives, Marcia also feels blessed for the connection Lucy, Tucker and Lily have brought her family. It’s a bond that she knows will go on and on, just like a mother’s love.

For more stories about the sparkle of motherhood, family and even furry little loved ones, visit www.livesparkly.com.