Day 14 — Saying Goodbye
Today, I had to say goodbye to the most loyal and consistent part of my life for the past 13 years. We had to put our Golden Retriever to sleep, and it was a very emotional day. I didn’t expect to be this sad about losing a pet. My whole family is heartbroken.
We brought her home on Christmas Day 13 years ago. My daughter wanted to name her “Jingle Bell,” but the rest of the family thought that was too silly. So, we settled on “Belle Noel” instead.
Belle was the perfect dog — well, except for the excessive amount of fur she shed. She was kind, caring, happy, obedient, and faithful.
The only thing that made saying goodbye to her bearable was that we knew it was coming. She struggled with various health problems in the last two years, including cancer, blindness, and seizures.
My wife and I discussed end-of-life decisions for Belle and prayed for more time with her. My son had been stationed in Japan with the Navy for the past five years, and we asked God to allow him to say goodbye before she passed. Thankfully, he came home five months ago.
During those extra months with Belle, we gave her pain and anti-seizure medications. I spoiled her with treats and finally let her sleep on the sofa.
As she lay in that hospital bed, my family gathered around her and prayed. I asked God to help us grieve, but we also gave thanks for such a wonderful dog that brought so much joy into our lives.
My last words to Belle were, “Thank you for being such a great dog.”
Dear Belle,
Not only were you an amazing dog, but you were also a great friend. You greeted me at the door every day and were always so happy to see me. Thank you for being my friend. I will miss you dearly, my Belle.
I hope you will be waiting for me in heaven. I look forward to giving you a big hug again.
With love…
If you’re missing a four-legged friend today, here are a few quotes that I found helpful:
How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. (Winnie the Pooh)
What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose; all that we have loved deeply becomes a part of us. (Helen Keller)
Dogs lives are short, too short, but you know that going in. You know the pain is coming, you’re going to lose a dog, and there’s going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in her innocence, because you can’t support the illusion that a dog can be your lifelong companion. There’s such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware that it comes with an unbearable price.
Maybe loving dogs is a way we do penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and the mistakes we make because of those illusions. (Dean Koontz)
Always onwards,
Thien
