Buddy, you performed you one task very...VERY well. Your former (and your current) Master is very pleased.
Good boy, Buddy!
Good boy.
Posted on 05/21/2007 7:23:48 PM PDT by uglybiker
I apoligize in advance for being so long winded, but I felt the need to share.
5:00am. I'm up and stumbling around the house like I usually do at this time of morning getting ready for work. Keys?...check. Smokes?...check. Lighter?...check. Monster mug o' coffee?...check.
Okay. I've got all the important stuff covered. I walk to the back door with a quick stop at the pantry to pull out a dog cookie. I walk out the door and something is missing. Normally, at the bottom of the steps, is a largish, wooly, mixed-breed dog. His name is Buddy. During the warmer part of the year (which we have alot of here in Arizona), he likes to sleep out in the yard where the ground is cooler. Normally he can hear me bumbling around the house in the morning, so he comes to the back steps to wait for me to come out. He always knew that 'Daddy' would give him some well-deserved attention and a cookie before he left. That was the daily ritual and I did my best to keep my part of the bargain.
He'd been getting along in years and, every once in awhile, I guess he'd sleep so soundly that he wouldn't hear me, and I'd find him still asleep in the yard right at the back corner of the house. He was there this morning, but when I called him, he didn't move. His body was still warm, his limbs were still limber, but my friend was gone.
And a hole opened in my heart.
No more will I see that wagging tail, those perked ears and that goofy dog grin as he lays with his paws crossed --always right over left-- just behind the back gate. Where he would stay almost motionless until the gate is actually open and "OHBYOHBOYOHBOY! DADDY'S HOME!!"
No more when I open the back door will he squirt in and play Kentucky Derby through the house with the cat. First one leading, then the other.
No more in the spring when the mulberrys flower and all the fuzzy bits fall to the ground and seemingly every #%&$%$# on gets stuck in his fur when he tries to come in the house...
No more will he lay his head on my knee and look up at me with those watery eyes and that disarming 'goofy dog grin' that he had perfected so well. That look said he knew who his master was. And that was all that mattered.....and would Master please give him a cookie? ;-)
Flashback to ten years ago.
November '97. I had recently moved to Arizona and was renting a room from my folks while I was getting myself established. I had just received a sizeable promotion at work and had saved up enough to put a down payment on a house. I was finally starting to move up in the world.
I got to work to pull a weekend shift when the man at the front gate ask me:"You know anybody who wants a dog? He's been wandering around here for two days. I felt sorry for him, so I gave him a frozen waffle I was going to have for breakfast. He likes me now. I call him 'Buddy'." My father worked at the same place at the time and, before I knew it, my parents had driven down, coaxed him into their car and brought him home. (My family has a failing when it comes to stray critters. We all have a couple.)It took the better part of a day to get him to come up to me. But when he figured out I was okay, he wasn't going anywhere. We debated on taking him to the local animal shelter, but I figured that since he was so skiddish, nobody would take him. So, when the paperwork on my house cleared a couple of weeks later, he came home with me.
He still had alot of puppy in him, so there were some problems at first. My utility trailer got stripped of all its wires, the power lead to my AC was pulled off, about two hundred holes showed up in my 'new' backyard, and I got notices stuck on my front door from animal control complaining about a barking dog. But he eventually settled down and even made up with the neighbors. One even told me that she didn't mind him barking so much because "he's not only watching your yard, he's watching mine, too!" Before long, he had truly lived up to his name. What had been some uncaring person's cast off, quickly became my closest and truest friend.
Buddy never was a big fan of the ugly bike. He didn't mind the noise, he just knew that whenever he saw me loading stuff on it, I was going somewhere and wasn't taking him.
Time rolled on. I got another promotion at work, my Father retired and my parents moved to eastern Texas. My folks always seeming to need something either hauled to them or hauled back, a couple times a year I would load up the truck and head east. Me at the wheel and Buddy behind the drivers seat with his head on the console. We took this trip enough times that we had our own scheduled stops. First: the New Mexico Welcome center on I-40. Second: The Love's truckstop west of Amarillo. Third: just outside of Witchita Falls and last: a little picnic area on Highway 82 not far from Paris, Tx.
As he got older, he developed hip displasia and got to where he couldn't climb in the truck. So I whipped up a small foldable ramp so he could walk in. He was always ready to go somewhere.
Flash back to the present.
By now, I was running late for work, so I moved Buddy from the yard and put him in the breezeway next to his dog box. My supervisor was understanding. All guys know what if feels like when you lose your dog. Also my work load was light, so I was able to leave early to take care of the business of what to do with this, that which is all that is left of my best friend.
The soil in this part of Arizona is composed mostly of rock, clay and calichi. I would almost have to rent a jackhammer to dig a proper grave. But my local veterenarian offers a cremation servce. It's not cheap, but I'm not complaining. In a couple of weeks, I will receive a small box of ashes that will be placed where I have a spot prepared under my bedroom window next to a cat who was also a very true friend.
When I got to the vet office, they had me pull around back where two assistants laid out a sling, gently rolled him into it and together (he weighed almost 100 pounds) we carried him inside to the last place I would see him.
I turned around to go and remembered somethng. I knelt down and removed the collar that I had put on him a long, long time ago. He didn't need it anymore.
I was no longer his Master.
There was a thread here the other day that posed the question about whether our pets go to heaven. I didn't read the whole thing, but I seem to remember a poster saying that there is a reason animals are rarely mentioned in Scripture. The Bible was written for mankind. Animals don't need a guide on how to live their lives.It is very scant on details about what happens to animals when they pass on. So anything I can add would be strictly my opinion. You can take it for what it's worth.
And, in my opinion, I believe that our pets are a physical manifestation of our Creator's love for us.
They are sent to us to perform one task, and one task only. And that is to serve their masters.
In doing so, they are also a reminder to their masters that they too have one task. And that is to serve Our Lord and Master.
The sheer exuberence at which they go about their one task is a reminder of how we should go about ours.
And as their lives are but a few short years, they remind us that, as their physical bodies must return to the earth whence they came, so too shall be our fate. And we should make the best of the short time we have been blessed with.
I cannot say for sure that our pets go to Heaven. I will only say that if the hereafter is supposed to be paradise, that paradise would be a bleak place indeed if my best friend is not there to share it with me.
As I type this, his collar is sitting on my desck by my keyboard. I look around the room and I see over in one corner, a very well-chewed rope toy. In another corner is the knot off a rawhide bone next to an old blue blanket he would lie on when he would come inside. I'm not sure what to do with them yet. Do I throw them out or save them for the next dog? I say next for it seems to be my lot that when one of my animals passes, a short time later another one shows up needing a home.
But I will always have a very special place for a largish, wooly dog with a 'goofy dog grin'.
I am lucky enough to still have my Lucky with me, as well as his companion Spot (Dalmatian). I think I know what you mean about the toys and blankets. That is always the hardest part for me. What to do with what is left behind. I still have a collar from a daschund that I owned when I was just a child. He was my best friend and is a frequent player in many of my dreams.
I love your analogy of how we should be more like our pets with our master. Very cool thought. I will be contemplating that for a while.
I am so sorry for your loss. It will be interesting to see which new pet God sends you to next. He knows which of his children he can trust to care for them properly.
God bless,
I’m so sorry to hear about your devoted Buddy. What a wonderful tribute you wrote! (My current three dogs probably wondered why I just hurried out of the computer room to give them each a big hug and pet - in Buddy’s honor.)
Amen
My heart goes out to you. It’s ghastly hard to lose a dog. But give your heart a little time to heal, and get another dog — you’re right: they “are a physical manifestation of our Creator’s love for us.”
Unfortunately, last year, I also joined the "I completely understand, because I've been there" club. My little angel, Jesse, suffered a brain aneursym on the 4th of July, and the next day, my best friend was given her final shot to return home to God. That was THE HARDEST thing I EVER had to go through in my entire life! But like other people on here told me, and I'm telling you now ~ the pain WILL ease day by day. Just like all of us, you will always miss Buddy, but you will always have your memories.
If you haven't been there yet, check out: http://www.rainbowbridge.com/. It's a great resource for people who have just lost their loved one. It has stories from other people in a similar situation, poems, memorials, etc. I think it might be a good help for you right now.
Ecclesiastes 3: 18-22
I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man's fate is that like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath, man has NO advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth"?
Hugs. I lost my best four legged friend four years ago and still miss her terribly.
Thank you for sharing that beautiful story with us; everyone who has lost a doggie friend knows exactly how you feel. I also loved the way you brought our Creator’s love into the fabric: you put it so perfectly that it brought tears to my eyes. Because of God’s love, I believe your Buddy is waiting for you by the Rainbow Bridge so you can cross into Heaven together.
We lost our last “baby” a year ago in March, and nothing really prepares you for the incredible pain of this kind of loss. After over a year of mourning, we were blessed to get our new puppy in April. She’s a true delight! We will never forget our other babies, but her energy and zest have brought joy back into our lives.
Thank you again. Our hearts and prayers are with you.
My first dog was named Buddy. I was six yrs. old and he taught me how to love, everything really. He certainly opened my heart to all dogs and most dog owners. If you can love an old mutt, you can’t be all bad!
Good luck to you, ugly biker. When the next largish, wooly puppy comes along, I think that will be a lucky dog.
I am very sorry for your loss. I believe you will be reunited someday in the future.
I have a Cocker Spaniel named Sammy who is not doing very well right now. He will be 12 yrs. next month. It is very hard to loss a member of the family.
I’m sorry for your loss. I love animals. I’ve always been a shy and somewhat lonely person. Through my loneliness, there is always a constant, my pets. It started off with one dog, Buttons. She is 12, and I worry with each passing year. She has been there through everything, and I just can’t imagine life without her. We now have 4 dogs and 2 cats. It would always seem another one would come along in need of a home or a loving master. I’ve only lost 2 pets. I’ll share one story.
Back when I had just 1 dog and the 2 cats, a little cat started coming to our house. She was a tiny little cat, and she was not friendly. I coaxed her with food and time. Finally, one day, she let me pet her. Instantly, she seemed relaxed to know that someone was nice to her, that someone cared. My Dad and I would walk the dog, and Sheba (as I named her) would follow. As soon as she saw us, her eyes lit up. She would run and rub all around our legs. She would follow us wherever we went. When the weather began to grow colder, we decided to keep her, and we took her to the vet. I remember putting her in the cage and her looking away with a sense of betrayal. I promised we would be back after the vet checked her out and she was spayed. When I came home from school, my mom told me she had feline AIDs. It’s not contagious to humans, but it is extremely contagious to other cats. We couldn’t take her, and vet recommended having her put to sleep. She was apparently in advanced stages of the disease. She was put to sleep while I was at school that day, and I never got to say goodbye. I still feel guilt like I betrayed her, but I cried for a couple days nonstop.
Anyway, you post made me sad. I know the pain you must be going through, and I also know the pain that I went through and will go through when I lose my pets. It is makes you feel better, I read an article in the paper written by a Catholic Priest. He said that all God’s creation is good to him, and God would never throw his creation away never to be seen again. I read a quote that said, “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went”.
A few other dog quotes:
Gloria Allred
“The more I know about men the more I like dogs.”
Charles De Gaulle
“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.”
Diana Black
“If dogs could talk, perhaps we’d find it just as hard to get along with them as we do with people.”
Alexander Pope
“Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.”
God Bless!
He’s working on 200 holes in heaven, waiting for you to fill them.
As I’ve told myself in my own grief:
“better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”
Thank you for posting that, Peace: I’ve always thought that was one of the most fitting of the Bible verses regarding ALL of God’s creation.
An aneurysm is what took our last baby from us. It happened so quickly (minutes) that I was numb from shock for quite a while.
Treasure the gifts of your loved ones, hug them tightly and tell them they’re loved every single day.
Brought a tear to my eyes....
God was very benevolent to mankind when he created man’s best friend.... And cats are very cool too.
May the God of all comfort keep your heart at peace. Losing a pet you love is very difficult, I know.
I know what you’re feeling! My pets are all getting old. Not looking forward to that. Find someone new to love! So many critters out there need a home.
Hugs,
AuntB
The Power of the DogSorry for your loss
Rudyard KiplingTHERE is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.
When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet’s unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find it’s your own affair
But . . . you’ve given your heart to a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!).
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone wherever it goes for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.
We’ve sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we’ve kept ’em, the more do we grieve.
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long
So why in Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?
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