Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the twenty-eighth day of the month is "Meaning."
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There has been what I can only describe as a rash of blogger dog illness/death, at least in my little corner of the internet. This has been rather difficult to read about, as grief for a pet is so hard to navigate. I also am sort of in denial that I will ever have to face this challenge in my life, so I've tried to send virtual thoughts, hugs, and hopes for peaceful passings, but secretly I feel useless and stay up at night thinking of all these precious boys and girls who I never met, but who I would have known instantly if I saw on the street.
I think about how much they are loved. How much they are spoiled. How many miles they have been walked. How many hours they have spent being cuddled. How many tears they have witnessed. How many tennis balls they have destroyed. How many children they have saved from tumbles down stairs. How many lives they have touched.
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| Mingus and Buddy in happier times. Also, warmer times. |
We have friends who lost precious Buddy a few months ago. Buddy had been my friend's mom's dog and Buddy was always a reminder of her mother. On Sunday, these same friends had to put their other dog Mingus down. They'd adopted Mingus before they got married and he was always old and cranky as long as I knew him. I used to walk Buddy and Mingus when my friends went on vacation and they were some of my personal references when we adopted Hannah the Dog because they knew I cared deeply for their dogs.
There are no real words, are there? I'm sorry, my friends, for your loss.
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| Mingus. In colder times. |
I wrote a note, printed out the above photos, and dropped it all off in their mailbox. May Buddy and Mingus and Scout and Beatrix and Barkley all be frolicking, no longer in pain, and so happy that their lives were filled with love and walks and sniffs and bones and the laughter of children.
Oh, so sad. The loss of a beloved pet is ever so. I know that your kind note and photos will be much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI hope it brings some comfort.
DeleteIt is a cruel reality that our fur babies have a much shorter lifespan. That's why they give us so much love while they have us.
ReplyDeleteI guess this is what we have to tell ourselves. I'm really in denial that I'll ever have to deal with it.
DeleteI agree with Birchwood- it seems so cruel that we have to outlive our pets! It was nice of you to deliver your note and photos- it really does help to know that other people understand.
ReplyDeleteI do hope it brings my friends some comfort, too small though it may be.
DeleteOh yes, I have been through it and it is so hard! It really does help to know that other people get it, and I'm sure your friends will very much appreciate the note and the photos.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. I hope they know that Mingus was special to folks beside just the two of them.
DeleteAwww, yes, it's so, so sad. I am already getting mildly panicky because our latest hamster is coming up on a year, and she's a much smaller breed, so I worry her lifespan may be even shorter, more like a mouse. Just last summer we had our older two die- one had to be put down and I sobbed like a crazy person over the little guy, it was so sad.... and then the other one shortly after had a fairly traumatic (for us anyway), sudden death at home, where we had to watch him twitch and take last breaths... OMG. I just can't handle it. I think after this hamster (Summer) we might need to be done with them. It's just too hard and I don't want to keep going through it.
ReplyDeleteOh, I do not want to think about Summer not being here! Oh, no!! I hope she lives for a good long while to come.
DeleteThank you so very much for mentioning my darling Barkley. I worry sometimes that people will think I don't miss him because Rexie has brought me so much joy. But it's not true, I think about him every day. What a good boy he was. I appreciate you so much for seeing me and remembering Barkley. I like to think that he's showing Scout the ropes right now and that they are both chasing squirrels and eating treats like crazy.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone thinks anything other than you adored Barkley. He was a good boy and you loved him dearly and grief works differently for everyone. I know his playing with Scout right now and they're having such a good time.
DeleteNicole and NGS--Your words brought--and continue to bring--me so much comfort for all the time that Scout was sick. I really can't express how grateful I am--I hope you can feel it somehow.
DeleteNicole--Scout was a follower, so I'm sure he's following Barkley around. And you are so loving, I'm certain anyone who knows you even a little bit would know that there's plenty of room in your heart for your Barkley love and your Rexie love.
NGS--somehow I always felt like you were an advocate for Scout. I mean, you were concerned for me and all that, but I always felt that your concern for Scout's well being was stronger. I absolutely LOVED that!
Oh, I hope I advocate for animals. Domesticated animals rely on humans so much and it is the final kindness we can do for them to make sure they are treated humanely at the end of their lives. I know you did all you could to ease Scout's transition and I hope that provides some light for you.
DeleteIt's an unfortunate and grim reality.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is. I'm not sure I'm willing to face reality, though.
DeleteThank you for remembering my Scout, NGS. I kind of feel that out there in the real world, people expect me to get it together and move on.
ReplyDeleteIt is the loss of a family member and should be treated as such, as far as I'm concerned.
DeleteThere are no words! :( It's so hard! That was kind of you to leave the photos. I loved seeing photos and hearing memories of my pets after they were gone.
ReplyDeleteI follow a lot of cats on #coi (cats of instagram) and it's so hard when they leave us. It never gets easier!
I follow so many dogs and cats on instagram! Ha! My feed is basically just fuzzy faces and I really love it. It is hard when they leave, but at least we know they are well loved.
DeletePets don't live long enough.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
DeleteI am so sorry for your friend's loss of her beautiful dog. I can only imagine the heartbreak. Sometimes, I think I am glad that I don't have a pet, but then again, I know the positives outweigh the negatives (of someday losing them).
ReplyDeleteI think it's hard because sometimes the pain at the end can seem to overwhelm the joy of the rest of their lives, but I like to think pets are worth it in the end.
DeleteIt is so heartbreaking. Big hugs to your good friends; dogs take a piece of our hearts with them.
ReplyDeleteI still miss my Lillie daily.
I was in denial for a long, long time that my dog Dutch would ever die. He was just such an integral part of my life and I just never wanted to think about him dying! And then, of course, he did and it was all kinds of awful but I got through it, and now I know that, as much pain as his death brought me, having him in my life far outweighed that. And it gives me the strength to know I will be able to handle the death of my girls when that day comes. (Which is hopefully a good 2 decades from now!)
ReplyDeleteOne of the most helpful things to hear when I lost Dutch was that they loved seeing his pictures and would miss him, too. It made me feel good that he made an impact on others and made his death feel less isolating. So I know the way you care about our pets and feel our losses just as deeply means the world. <3