Next to children and grandchildren, the greatest gifts we can have are our furbabies. And in recent years, I have been blessed with several children and grandchildren that had 4 legs. And along with bringing them into my life, I have known that there would come the day when they would leave, and my world would be torn apart. And when you have several of them that are near the same age, you know that the pain will come just as close together. And that for a while, the tears will seem to flow constantly. And this is exactly how it has been.
Bailey came to us as a work dog. My son-in-law Aric decided to be the K-9 officer, and Bailey was his service dog. Bailey was one huge boy, big head, loud, deep bark, and he would definitely stop you in your tracks. But Bailey had another side to him, the side that only a few got to see. Bailey would love to come to Grandma's house. I would keep him when Dianna and Aric were out of town, and he was the biggest baby ever! He would sprawl out across the foot of the bed, and when I told him to move, he would just lift his head as if to say, "what?" But one night, he got sick, and they received the bad news. Bailey had cancer. The prognosis wasn't good, but they fought the fight. But the end was written early and one day he just went to sleep. And in May of 2010, I found myself digging a hole alongside Aric, speaking words of good-bye to a baby who was so special to me. And knowing that, even though his life was short, he was very loved indeed.
Molly was found as a dumped dog, a puppy, on a road in Missouri in December. That they expected her to die was evident. But she didn't. Aric took her to Dianna, who didn't have the time for an active dog, so she came to live with me. And the adventures we had! She traveled all over the country with me, living in apartments and RVs, and being not only my best friend, but my companion, my protector, my confidant, my sounding board, and my decision maker at times. She was so very special, it was incredible. The stories I could tell, but that would take too long. But she got sick. She had a tumor on her leg, and the treatment was going to be too hard on her, so we just spent the time we had together, praying for more time. Hoping that things would be alright, and knowing that they wouldn't. And one night, the tumor ruptured, and the horrible decision that I had to make still haunts me. And I found myself, once again, in February 2012, digging a hole alongside Aric, and laying to rest my beloved girl. Along with a blanket, and a toy, I covered her up and knew that life was not fair, and would never be the same again.
Life sometimes throws you curves when you are not ready for them, and this curve was named Pup. He was all of 7 pounds, and kept wandering into the yard. Covered with ticks, and wearing a stupid red sweater (in late spring) I knew that he probably ran away from someone. But no one claimed him, so what was a person to do. My vet had told me, after loosing Molly, that he hoped that I would open my heart to another dog. Well, I believe this was the reason Pup came into my life. Cause I fell hard and fast for his little face. But lasting was not to be, as he was hit by a car. And this time I found myself digging a hole, wrapping up the boy who taught me that it was alright to love again, and laying him to rest. And 2012 was not done yet.
Then there was Anna. Anna was a full-blooded German Shepherd who tipped the scales at over 100 pounds. This baby was kept locked in a laundry room, and had no chance to go outside and run and play. Aric heard about her, and took her home. She was another one who loved to come to Grandma's house, and would just run and play, and have the best time. She had hip problems, and would sometimes just moan from the pain. Medicine helped for a while. And my thought was it was better to have a short life lived well than a long one lived sad. And the pain eased and the joy she found in life was so evident in her face. Then she started to get sick as well. Her joints hurt, and in spite of the medicines, life became painful. She tried to fight as well, but running free was her only relief, and one day in December 2012 she too closed her eyes and went to sleep. So once again I found my self digging a hole, alongside Aric, saying good-bye to a baby who was so special, wrapping her in a blanket and with some toys, and knowing that she was reunited once again with her brother. But feeling the pain just as much.
Last night, the final one from that group crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. Thunder was born in 2000 in the deserts of Arizona. I knew her as a puppy, and she was so full of life and so very special. When I left Arizona, the person who had her told me that they were taking care of her, but I found out otherwise. So to Arizona I went and brought her back home. Since I was traveling with my job, she came to be Dianna's baby. And they were perfect together. Thunder didn't require a lot of extra attention. She loved to cuddle, never had to be on a leash to be outside, minded extremely well, and never tore anything up she wasn't suppose to. She would play with the other puppies, and the heeler in her came out (She was chow and Australian Shepard mix) and she would grab for the other puppies back legs! Her black tongue and color showed her Chow, and many people were surprised at her disposition. She developed glaucoma, and did well with sight in only one eye. But one morning, she woke up blind. Nothing could be done. But Thunder adjusted well, and still had a great life. But life continued to go down for her. She lost her hearing, than she started loosing weight. She had problems, and was on medicine, and wasn't getting any better. Dianna knew it was getting close, so they took her to the Vet. She didn't want her to suffer, but didn't want to feel as if she had killed her either. The vet told them that time was short, but she wasn't in pain. And he felt she would just go to sleep. And she did, the next day. But unlike Anna and Bailey, she didn't want her Mom or Dad to see her go, so she waited until they were both gone, and she closed her eyes and left. So last night I found myself, once again, digging a hole with Aric, saying good-bye to another baby who was so special and so very loved, wrapping her in a blanket with a toy, and laying her to rest next to her brother and sister.
There are 3 boys in my life now, Jake who is 4, Sam who is 3, and Max who is 2. I sit outside on the porch and watch my boys running around, and can see where my other babies are all resting, until we can be together again. I know that one day, I will have to face this task yet again. Because of their age, I hope it is many years in the future, but we never know for sure. The pain that I feel from loosing them is hard, but the memories of the love they shared with me makes it easier. And as long as you hurt, you are alive, and that is a good thing. As I try to type this, with tears running down my face, I know that I can take comfort that, for now, once again, all my babies are safe and home with me.
