Category: Pets
Wordless Wednesday: Bear
After the Rain
After the rain…
and before the deluge…
moments of beauty –
the company of dogs,
filthy, muddy play,
and a banner weekend for getting dogs home.
There were absolutely no appointments on the board when I arrived early Saturday morning, and then they came, one by one.
Thankfully, we had a full complement of adoption counselors on hand because – by the end of the day –
eight dogs had found their forever families.
In this mix is a very special story; an unexpected little miracle. Our volunteers will recognize it, but the rest of you will have to wait a bit – just to make sure it sticks. Keep those paws crossed and I will bring it to you soon.
Until then, keep bailing –
And thank the heavens for rain in California.
Learning How to Surf
“Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.” ~ Jacques Prévert
Happiness forgot us for a bit. With the loss of Bella, the house feels quiet and empty to us, and to Bella’s “brother” Jackson. From the moment they met, they had been best playmates and friends.
Only a year separated them – and we hoped nothing else ever would. But sometimes, the universe has other plans.
You can’t will grief away; it takes its own time. But wallowing in it never banished it faster. So, while we mourn our loss, we have to put Jackson’s needs first. And today, he needed some happiness.
We took him on one of his favorite adventures – an early morning hike and swim in the river.
And along the way, we met and made a new friend; her name is Riba.
A few years younger than Jackson –
a powerful ocean-trained swimmer,
and a mighty shaker,
she could probably show him up if she wanted, but they were well matched in personality and play.
When the heart is heavy, create good times and new memories, and eventually, happiness will find you again.
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn
What Flowers Speak
Words are one of the ways I express myself. Writer’s block is a familiar foe, but I can usually push through it. Wine helps. But one thing leaves me speechless: the loss of a friend’s beloved fur companion. Words fail me; I’m helpless to console.
All I can say is “I’m sorry. So very sorry.”
And since I can’t find words, I will bring you flowers.
Because flowers always find the light;
they remind us that life unfolds in chapters;
and they are proof that there is beauty even in passing, and in sorrow, too.
These are for you. All of you.
I am so very sorry for your loss.
“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.” ~ Gerard de Nerval
When is it time to say ‘goodbye?’
In the garden, we make life, death, and death-delaying decisions all the time. For the Iris to live, the snails must die.
For the bees and butterflies to thrive, we endure bugs.
And although a plant’s whole purpose is to flower and set seed, we take its buds to extend its season.
A garden isn’t really nature; it’s working with – and sometimes, against it, to achieve our wishes.
With people and our animals, we often work against nature as well. But life-extending and ending decisions are obviously different. Key factors enter the equation: how much can they – or we – bear? Is it better to say goodbye today, or extend today into as many tomorrows as we can get? Is it too soon? Or too late?
People (hopefully) draft directives to guide and free us from the burden of these decisions. Not so our pets, who look to us to ‘know.’
There are “five freedoms” that guide rescue. They are helpful, as well, when faced with the impossible and emotional life and death decisions made for our animal family members.
Freedom from hunger or thirst: is my pet able to feed and drink, or am I able to assist without causing the animal undue distress?
Freedom from discomfort: there are times we choose painful courses of treatment when it means many good future years, but for those with a terminal illness, ask: is my companion comfortable while living with the disease?
Freedom to express (most) normal behaviors: can they still do the things that make them happy?
Freedom from pain, injury or disease: can pain be managed at an acceptable level; will the proposed treatment create further complications that jeopardize quality of life?
Freedom from fear and distress: can a better quality of life be achieved by declining life-extending treatments, even if it means fewer tomorrows?
The right choice isn’t always the easiest one.
I’m thinking of my sister and her husband who, yesterday, made the right decision at the right time for our father’s dog.
Had they not taken Butterscotch into their home six years ago, they would not have been faced with this weight or today’s sadness. But Butterscotch would not have had six years of love and happiness with them, either. Her post is here.
At 16, Butterscotch showed my sister the signs, and she had the courage to see them. Butterscotch earned her freedom from this earth and what had become its pains. And my sister and her husband earned their guardian angel wings.
“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” ~ Agnes Sligh Turnbull
Fly free, sweet Butterscotch. Until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge.
Gardens For Goldens 