~Sir Walter Scott
Noelle
18 December 1993 (approx. 10:00 PM CST) ~
4 October 2007 (2:20 PM CDT)
PS to Sir Walter Scott ~ No matter how long they live, it is never long enough.
18 December 1993 (approx. 10:00 PM CST) ~
4 October 2007 (2:20 PM CDT)
PS to Sir Walter Scott ~ No matter how long they live, it is never long enough.
Connie,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you have lost your dog, Noelle. You are right, they always leave too soon.
My condolences.
Jennie
Thank you, Jennie. I appreciate your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAnd in life, they never get the care they deserve or an equitable return on the love they give. Sad to say it, but dogs deserve better than to be so aligned with people. That they don't seem to mind only reinforces the point.
ReplyDeletePeople who really love dogs do their best, though (and are always beating themselves up for not doing enough).
ReplyDeleteRon, you were a wonderful "dad" to Noelle. In fact, even though she was originally "my" dog, she always preferred you to me.
Connie, I lost my own beloved german shepherd precisely this time last year at the fine age of 15. Regrettably we had to put her to sleep. For a great dog who always followed me around, that was the one time I wanted to follow her.
ReplyDeleteThank you, CD. You really do know how I feel, and vice-versa. (I love Shepherds; in fact the first dog I really fell in love with was a Shepherd.) In a way it's even harder when you have to make the decision to end their lives; I guess I was "fortunate" because Noelle went on her own. I'm working on another post about her now. Thanks for writing.
ReplyDeleteI always liked what Albert Payson Terhune said whenever he wrote about the passing of one of his beloved collies (usually at the end of each book, when he'd get to reminiscing about one of his dogs). It went something like, "Most dogs die too soon. Many humans don't die soon enough."
ReplyDeleteOur beloved George died over a year and a half ago, and we STILL miss him, and talk about him, and unfairly compare the NEW dog to our romanticized Perfect Dog version of him. (And he was FAR from perfect. Funny how memory does that...)
I'm sure you guys will have equally treasured memories that will keep her alive forever in your hearts.
Mojo
Thank you so much, Mojo. I know what you mean about romanticizing the departed one, and comparing the new one, however unintentionally. As a pup, our youngest dog Kali looked soooo much like Ron's own perfect dog, the late Siva, when *she* was a pup. I think that's what attracted both of us to her -- but grown up, she is about as far from Siva as a dog could be, in personality as well as appearance. But we love her for who she is (though at times she is a royal PITA).
ReplyDeleteAnd while I don't think Ron and I are in any danger of remembering Noelle as the perfect be-all and end-all of dogs -- we were both more than aware of her flaws -- she will definitely live on in our memories. I'll be putting up another, longer post about her today.
Thanks for writing, and be sure to give your new dog a hug for me.
Thanks, Rob. A house without wiener dogs seems very strange to me now...
ReplyDeleteC'mon, Connie. Our house felt pretty strange when it was overrun with the little creatures. It does feel somewhat empty, however. :-(
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, Ron.
ReplyDeleteI know you probably don't care to hear from me but even I repsond to death:
ReplyDeleteI'm really sorry, C.
CMC, thank you very much. And I'm always glad to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteConnie,
ReplyDeleteAs I've said elsewhere, I'm saddened about the loss of your 4-legged family member.
If you decide to look for a new companion, I hope you find a good one.
Carl
http://www.focusedexistence.com/blog/
Thanks so much, Carl. I appreciate your kindness. (And Ron and I are really enjoying the discussion on your blog. :-))
ReplyDeleteSorry I am so late to this lovely series of posts. As it happens, I'm doing a magazine piece right now about the event that, I'm quite sure, at the last, will rank right up there with my greatest regrets in life: voluntarily putting my beloved German Shepherd "down" (as we euphemistically say when we kill our pets) back in 1978. I've also had other beloved pets die in my arms, Connie, so I can fully appreciate your sentiments on Noelle.
ReplyDeleteMay she rest with St. Anthony, as my wife, Catholic that she is, always says when she receives news of a creature that has left us....
Thank you so much, Steve. Y'know, I've probably mentioned this before on your blog, but one of the big obstacles that has always kept me from embracing any mainstream religion (at least the monotheistic ones) is that most of them seem to teach that only humans have souls and therefore an afterlife. If dogs (and cats, horses, pigs, birds, etc.) don't go to heaven, I don't want to either. Your wife seems to "get it," though. :-)
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know which is more difficult: having to make the choice to end their lives, or having them go on their own. Either way, it sucks. Anyway, I appreciate your comments, and I look forward to reading your magazine piece.