To Greener Pastures: Vanity

Self ^ | 7/12/07 | Self

[fanfan]

I’m so sorry for your loss Joe.

My 13 year old White German Shepherd will be joining Timber soon, I am sure.
At least they will have fun playing together, and you and I will have our wonderful memories.

[DugwayDuke]

I hope this is as much comfort to you as it was to me.

A Living Love
By Martin Scot Kosins

If you ever love an animal, there are three days in your life that you will always remember….

The first day is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your young new friend. You may have spent weeks deciding on a breed. You may have asked numerous opinions of many vets, or done long research in finding a breeder. Or, perhaps in a fleeting moment, you may have just chosen that silly looking mutt in a shelter—simply because something in its eyes reached your heart.

But when you bring that chosen pet home, and watch it explore, and claim its special place in your hall or front room-and when you feel it brush against you for the first time-it instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through the many years to come.

The second day will occur eight or nine or ten years later. It will be a day like any other. Routine and unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your longtime friend and see age where you once saw youth. You will see slow deliberate steps where you once saw energy. And you will see sleep when you once saw activity. So you will begin to adjust your friend’s diet-and you may add a pill or two to her food. And you may feel a growing fear deep within yourself, which bodes of a coming emptiness. And you will feel this uneasy feeling, on and off, until the third day finally arrives.

And on this day—if your friend and God have not decided for you, then you will be faced with making a decision of your own-on behalf of your lifelong friend, and with the guidance of your own deepest Spirit. But whichever way your friend eventually leaves you-you will feel as long as a single star in the dark night.

If you are wise, you will let the tears flow as freely and as often as they must. And if you are typical, you will find that not many in your circle of family or friends will be able to understand your grief, or comfort you.

But if you are true to the love of the pet you cherished through the many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul—a bit smaller in size than your own—seems to walk with you, at times, during the lonely days to come.

And at moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, you may feel something brush against your leg-very very lightly. And looking down at the place where your dear, perhaps dearest, friend used to lay—you
will remember those three significant days. The memory will most likely be painful, and leave an ache in your heart—As time passes the ache will come and go as if it has a life of its own.

You will both reject it and embrace it, and it may confuse you. If you reject it, it will depress you. If you embrace it, it will deepen you. Either way, it will still be an ache.

But there will be, I assure you, a fourth day when -along with the memory of your pet-and piercing through the heaviness in your heart-there will come a realization that belongs only to you. It will be as unique and strong as our
relationship with each animal we have loved, and lost. This realization takes the form of a Living Love—like the heavenly scent of a rose that remains after the petals have wilted, this Love will remain and grow—and be there for us to remember. It is a love we have earned. It is the legacy our pets leave us when they go. And it is a gift we may keep with us as long as we live. It is a Love which is ours alone. And until we ourselves leave, perhaps to join our
Beloved Pets—it is a Love we will always possess.

Offered to the list in memory of Tifflyn’s Cassi Act Two CD PHC 5-23-88 to 11-6-03

[MPJackal]

I am so sorry. He was a great dog. It is one of the true tragedies of life that the greatest friends we humans have on this world only live about 1/7th of our lifespans. But I think Timber crammed in the lions share of of a human life in his. Maybe dogs think they are lucky because it is not the other way around. They might be right. You were a go dad to him, he had a great life.

[TASMANIANRED]

I’m very sorry for the loss of your canine friend..

They leave a tremendous hole..

I still have mine...

In time you will remember fondly rather than hurt constantly.

[TASMANIANRED]

That is a lovely testament...

We should all be as good as our dogs think we are.

[MagnoliaMS]

What a beautiful dog, Joe, and how fortunate you both were to have had so much love for and from each other. I know how bad it hurts. My two little ones are 14 years old, and we lost their Mama a couple of years ago. I don’t know how long I may have them, so I do enjoy every day with them. I will be lost without them when that time comes, but I will have to do as I know you will, remember the good times and be grateful they had a happy home and were loved and well cared for.

[Joe 6-pack]

Thanks D. I remembered today how MAJ R. and LTC D. avoided our office when they knew he was in there behind closed doors. I’d forgotten about that and thinking back over all his life today, it made me smile.

[Kozak]

Feel for you. Had to put my Fritzi down last September when her hips just completely gave out on her. One sweet dog. Note her favorite chew toy....

[Joe 6-pack]

I hope you know Timber and Fritzi are playing tug-of-war with that chew toy right now :-)

[DancesWithCats]

Joe I am so sorry that your buddy has gone home now. He was a handsome animal! Don’t we miss them so and ache for their passing (I just lost mine not too long ago and I still miss her every day so I know just how you feel ...) You’ll see him again, I truly believe!

[Kozak]

I hope you know Timber and Fritzi are playing tug-of-war with that chew toy right now :-)

Excellent!

[BruceysMom]

I’m so sorry to hear of Timber’s passing. While it is going to be hard to experience Ranger’s grieving, it will build an even stronger bond between you as you travel through this sad time together.

[Joe 6-pack]

Thank you. Give Brucey a hug for me!!

[Titan Magroyne]

...Ranger’s a Katrina rescue and he’s been part of the pack since September ‘05. He’s about three, so hopefully he’s got a little mileage left on his butt. We’ll deal with Timber’s loss together, but it’ll probably be a little while before he’s ready to assume the beta role over a junior member of the pack. Timber was the suave, debonair Jeremy Irons of the dog world. Ranger is more like the Borat.
LOL! Yeah...

How that special dog is missed when he goes. If there's one consolation after he is gone, it's the relationship that blossoms between the formerly junior dog and his human. Once he's the DOG of the house, each of my jokers has grown into a role of responsibility he didn't possess before. It's an amazing thing to watch even as I continue to mourn the one who has gone. I'm so sorry about your Timber. From your tribute to him, I can see he had a happy life. He sure was a beautiful boy.

[Joe 6-pack]

Thanks to everybody who took the time to share their kind words and to help carry the burden of grief. There's kind of an epilogue to Timber's life story that I want to share with ya'll. Some of you know that I dabble as an artist, doing primarily calligraphy and manuscript illumination; some of you have seen samples of my work that I've emailed you off line. Applying gold leaf to a paper or vellum page can be a pretty tricky proposition and requires a highly polished burnisher. Long ago, the monks laboring away in the scriptoria of medieval Europe found that the canine tooth of an old dog was uniquely adapted to this purpose by virtue of it's near perfect smoothness, a broad, arching surface that could be used for larger areas, and a fine, rounded point for detail work. In modern times, art suppliers have turned to polished agate in that familiar shape, but still market them as "hound's tooth burnishers."

Some time ago, our vet had mentioned how healthy and clean Timber's teeth and gums were, and in the ensuing conversation, I related the above information to him. Yesterday, when Timber was laid out, he asked if I'd like to keep a canine tooth, and I said I would. He stated he wouldn't make any promises, because Timber's teeth and jaws were so healthy, he feared he might crack them if he tried to extract them.

Today at lunch, the vet called me, and said he had something for me. I went and picked up one of Timber's pristine, smooth canines. I take deep comfort in the fact that a dog that never bit a single human being in anger, will continue to make his contribution to human happiness as he assists me in my future art work.

I'm also heartened by the fact that when my time comes, at least some of his bones can be laid to rest with mine for the rest of eternity...

[Darnright]

My sincere condolences, Joe. Dogs are with us for such a short time, and they give such undying loyalty.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Dogs are with us for such a short time, and they give such undying loyalty." As I've mentioned to others on this thread, I think they simple earn their place in heaven a lot sooner than the rest of us. I know that most of our conventional theology teaches us that animals do not have souls, but my reflections over the past day lead me to believe otherwise. What lay at the foot of my bed yesterday morning was the corpse of a large German Shepherd. That quality or essence that was my Timber was simply no longer there. St. Francis of Assissi, a personal hero of mine, preached the Gospel to the birds...I can't imagine him, in his life of asceticism and austerity, acting frivolously with the Word of God, but rather find deep meaning in his sharing the joy and mirth he found in the creation that binds us all.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

But nobody else ever romped with White Fang. He did not permit it. He stood on his dignity, and when they attempted it, his warning snarl and bristling mane were anything but playful. That he allowed the master these liberties was no reason that he should be a common dog, loving here and loving there, everybody's property for a romp and good time. He loved with single heart and refused to cheapen himself or his love.

-- Jack London, "White Fang"

[dervish]

RIP. Remember those good times. He was a beautiful animal. I know my time with the light of my life is nearing the end, and I try to enjoy her every day.

[LibertarianInExile]

I still miss my dog. He died when I was nine.

Best wishes to you, and may you focus on the happy memories.