I write this in memory of our Goldie, who died eight years ago, as loved now as she was then. My then second grader's sense of loss knew no bounds, and it was painful to watch her go into silence for what seemed a very long time. Until we got her another identical puppy, she would spend almost an hour every day after school standing by the spot Goldie had last sat, where we had made a little memorial for her. She would stare at the engraved box containing Goldie's ashes, pictures of her since puppy days framed above the little table on which it sat, and tears would roll down her little cheeks. She never spoke, she just stood there in silence.
One day, about eight or nine months later, my daughter wrote a poem in school, which I share with you because it was beautiful how she put into words the thoughts she would never utter to me or anyone else.
I know many of you are pet owners who love these furry creatures immensely, and as we remember Goldie on the eighth anniversary of her death, I invite you to share your feelings of how you and your children coped with the passing of a much-loved member of your family.
Dear Goldie
I miss you
Up where you are,
from when I was born
You were waiting at home,
until I arrived.
All the five summers,
five winters,
five falls,
four springs
We had great memories.
In winter,
your golden fur
wrapping around you.
In summer,
the hair you shed
is still on the floor.
In the fall,
both of us jumping in leaves,
orange,
red,
brown,
and yellow
surrounding us.
In the spring,
the flowers bloomed
as we bloomed too,
you were very quiet,
never barked,
Your beautiful,
hazel eyes,
dazzling
like diamonds.
Paralyzed
in your corner
as you left us
you closed your eyes,
and went into a long,
long,
and sad sleep
Goldie,
I miss you
and will always love you
in my heart,
that's where you stand
in your corner,
now and forever.
Copyright: Neetu 2012
Of course, you had to safeguard your son, Mike. I can imagine how heartbreaking that decision must have been. And then to have discovered the result of the rabies test was negative couldn't have been any easier. How much you must have wished there had been a different and easier way to find out to avoid having to take such drastic action!
The little fur babies do occupy a special place in our hearts, Mickey. They make us better human beings, I am convinced. Losing them is always very painful. Sally and Harry are absolutely adorable!
Goldie enriched our lives in so many ways - even though we lost her early at just 7 years of age, she filled those years with her sweet nature, her utter devotion and sincerity. That we can never forget.
I'm sorry for your loss and the pain. The poem was beautiful.
I've had dogs my whole life and remember each one with love and happyness. We have two now, both rescue dogs. Wiki, a mini doxie and Annie, a Heinz57. Wiki is 5 1/2 and Annie is some where around 8 years old, by the vet's best guess.
We always say that we rescued them, but in reality, they rescued us.
Awwwwww, Mickey, you do have such a tender heart! Harry and Sally know their daddy's love and that's what matters most.
You speak wisely, Kavika! It is they that rescue us. Oh, I know Wiki! Of course! But I didn't know about Annie - glad I do now!
You mean your "pet" wife, Mike? I am not at all in favor of animals sharing my bed! In fact, with all that fur goldens have, I have to confine her to a few areas of the house and upstairs is off-limits. We have allergies, asthma and I wouldn't be able to keep up with the vacuuming! If I had hardwood floors, I might have relaxed that rule a bit, but I don't so I have to enforce it. Here is the thing, though - Daffy is not in the least offended and reigns supreme in the areas she is allowed in! She has her space, we have ours! And then, we have shared space
! I think that would be a good plan for couples too, you know (IMHO)
.
I had a peke-a-poo named Cry Baby, CB for short. He was my best friend for almost 17 years. When he passed away everyone in my family cried.
I'm doing the same thing with my Lulu. She's almost 10 years old and her muzzle is nearly all white, plus she's getting a lot of white all over the rest of her body, especially her legs. She's moving much slower and not able to vault effortlessly into the truck anymore.
I have been making extra time to love and pet on her because I know I won't have her much longer.
I am glad you cherish every day you have with Lulu, Wheel - that's all we really can do!
What an unusual name for a pet! Cry Baby? Was he one? Nice that you had him for 17 years - might be considered a long life in the doggie kingdom.
I didn't name him. I got him from my sister, her girls named him. My BiL worked for the railroad. He got a transfer soon after they got the dog and had to move to another state. The apt. they found didn't allow dogs. I agreed to keep CB "for a couple of weeks" till my sister managed to find him a home.
He was a bit of a cry baby when I got him but he seemed to like being a 'man's dog' better than being a 'girly dog.' He took right to country life.
I'd never had a really small dog, all my dogs till then had been bigger, dobie, shepherd, lab, bigger dogs. But the little guy and I bonded and he became my constant companion.
One of my Lesson Learned stories seems to fit right in here with this article.....
Poor Cat My Foot,...Poor Me!!!!...Incident
I remember one time the wife wanted to fool around and I was tired, a hard day and all (no pun intended). When we finally went to bed, because I like it cold when I sleep all we had covering us was a sheet. There I was laying on my back when she rolled over and laid her head on my chest pinning my right arm underneath her. And she again asked do you want to fool around.....I replied not to night and she smiled and said Okey dokey.....my heart skipped a beat, I looked at her and said you can't be serious. Oh yeah, she said, but you just lay there and enjoy it.
Nervously I laid there with my eyes closed waiting for something to happen. Then she got a hold of me and I have to admit things were looking up so to speak and it felt pretty good. Every once in a while she would let out a little giggle and a snicker. I asked what was up and she said you don't know? Damn she said I thought you liked this. OK I'll shut up and enjoy the moment.
Maybe if we would have already been married for ten or so years I would have seen it coming, but no. The only thing in our marriage that I had learned to fear was the phrase Okey Dokey...nothing good ever come from those two words, at least not in my lifetime. Why should this night be any different. About the third time she was letting out a giggle and snickering I heard something fall from the dresser. It startled me, but she had me pinned down so I couldn't get up. Her giggle had changed to a full blown belly laugh and just at that moment she let go of my pride and joy.
Our cat had been watching her from the dresser and thought she was playing with him so he had jumped from the dresser with his front paws fully extended and when he got a hold of my pride and joy I swear those claws were four inches long. He sunk then into me on both sides, and of course I yelled so loud they could hear me all the way across town. I heard her laughing while the cat was panicking, claws still extended trying to get some traction to escape the anger from me that was about to befall him. He tore up the hide on the inside of my thighs and half way up my chest trying to get the hell out of Dodge. When the smoke settled there was blood everywhere.
And I was not in a good mood. I think I was thinking of murder just hearing her still laughing. And when she came back with the first aid kit she was still laughing. She kept asking if I wanted to go to the ER. Not funny, I said, I wasn't going to explain to them how I had gotten a torn up pecker. So the kind and loving wife that she was, said hold still, and she wrapped it with a gauze bandage soaked with Listerine to disinfect it. Talk about pouring salt into an open wound, I yelled even louder, almost to the brink of crying. She got a clean bandage out still laughing and then she said, where did it go, can't you keep it up until I get it bandaged. Looking at her with tears in my eyes, all I could do was say (I think I yelled it) was the cat has just tried to rip it off, you just tried to burn it off and you want me to keep it up for more punishment.....You will be lucky if you get to see it for the next month.
Men, if you think the cold causes shrinkage, let a cat glom on to it.......then pour some antiseptic on it....you'll have to back up for a month just to pee.
The next day I gave the wife a family size package of C cell batteries and told her if she wanted to fool around for the next month have fun.....the good that came from all this was our cat would never come into the bedroom when I was home.......After all of that, when the wife wanted to fool around I managed to find both the strength and desire to please her.....Lesson learned.
You know...it is funny when this kind of stuff happens to someone else.
OMG! LR, I am trying to visualize your wife, I really am! Now, why would she torture you like this? That is what I am trying to understand!!!!Please, any explanations? How often, er, did this sort of thing happen, LR???
The cat probably thought it was a baby mouse. LOL.
I've had so many pets, mostly dogs in my lifetime that have come and gone, but I still remember each and every one of them. And each and every one of them was a four legged friend to me I will never forget. Most of my memories were shared with my four legged friends over the years.
yes, sixpack,...my wife did have rather small hands.....
Ahhhh damn Charles, I was living that story with you. How damn painful that must have been.
Back in the mid 80's I had a mini doxie named Cashew. It was time to put her down, since she was paralized in her hind legs and going blind. When I took her to the vet he told me to leave the room, I couldn't do it. I couldn't leave her scared and alone. I went home got her toys and very old baby blanket 14 years old, went back to the vet and wrapped her up in it, put her toys next to her and laid on the damn table with her, hugging her while the adminstered the chemical. To this day I can still remember it like it was yesterday. At least she crossed the Rainbow Bridge with me holding her and all her toys and blanket there. Her little head was resting on my shoulder.
Oh, why did you do that, Charles? would you have done it to a human relative?
LOL!
I am sorry, Charles. I publicly and privately apologized to you for the comments I made. I am doing so again. You are one of the kindest human beings I know, hence it shocked me at first when I read your story. Then I realized what you went through and the circumstances that compelled you to do what you did. We are all human, Charles. I have no right to judge another human being. I should have held my tongue and waited until I had fully absorbed the whole picture. I did not. It is my mistake. I take back what I said.
And my opinion is that you are a wonderful human being, Charles. Thank you.
Thanks, Six - Master of song selection!