There comes a time in everyone’s
life when they have to deal with a loved one’s passing. Sometimes it happens in
an instant with no warning at all and sometimes we are allowed time to prepare
for the day when we will no longer physically see our loved one. Arrangements
are made, goodbyes are said and the emotional preparations are done. But, what if the loved one is a dog???
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| Welcome to your new home, Nadia!! |
Puppies are usually brought into
our lives when they turn 6 weeks old and are finally able to leave their
momma's. At that time we think they are the cutest little bundles ever and we
can’t wait to get home to play with them. They seem to learn very quickly
exactly how to wrap themselves around our fingers. A bark from a 6 week old
puppy in the middle of the night can bring you out of a deep sleep just as fast
as if you heard a baby cry. Then there are the good ol potty training days!!
Who doesn’t love potty training a puppy?? How many of us have clapped and
cheered for our little furball when they’ve finally learned to squat in the grass
instead of on that new rug?
Then, they grow up. Instead of
being those yappy, little furballs that want our attention constantly they
become companions. When they hear your car door shut they know you’re home and
head straight for the door. The door is opened and there they stand with their
tails wagging so hard from excitement you are sure they're going to give
themselves whiplash! If you’re lucky, you have a dog that truly thinks they are
your shadow. When you get up and walk to the other room so does your four
legged shadow, when you go to get in the shower, be careful as you step
out…there’s your four legged shadow waiting patiently for you. How many times
have you almost dropped a plate of food or tripped to your death because that
four legged shadow had followed you into another room and was sitting at your
feet when you turned to walk away?
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| Nadia & Boomer |
As companions, our furry, four
legged shadows witness things that humans don’t even get to witness. They are
with you when you’re home alone, they are with you when you’re sad, when you’re
mad, laughing, crying, awake, asleep, cooking dinner, folding clothes, they
hear your phone conversations, they join you in the living room when company
comes over, they travel with you and head to the door when they see you grab
their leash and know the words "let's go” are about to come out of your
mouth. And, if you’re really lucky you
have an animal who learns your routine and is willing and ready to make it part
of their own routine as well. You know exactly what I mean if you happen to
have a pet that knows that when you turn the lights off in the living room and
double check the front door you’re getting ready to go to bed. If your amazing
pet patiently waits for you at the foot of your bed as you continue to prepare your
house for nighttime or if you have a pet that climbs up on your bed, finds
their spot and settles in for the night as you get into your covers, then you
have a pet that has made your routine their
routine. It’s really amazing when you think about everything our pets
witness in our lives. And even after seeing what they see it’s even more
amazing that they don’t run off the first chance they get!
I’m an animal lover but, I
believe a dog is a dog. Well, I used to believe that a dog is a dog….
Last Tuesday, I got a call from
Colton and he said that our Nadia was acting a little funny. Our family
companion of 12 years had been sick and we’d just taken her to the vet a week
before and thought she was on the road to recovery. Nadia, like any older aged
woman, had hot flashes at times. (That’s what I called them anyway.) She was
most comfortable on any given day in front of her fan. So, when he called and
said she was panting like crazy I told him to get her fan and she should calm
down. He did it and it worked!! She calmed right down and sat in front of her
fan with her crazy hair and ears blowing away! Colton left the house to go to
the gym and I told him I’d go by the house at lunch to check on her. Nadia had
plans of her own though. By the time I got to the house our precious Nadia was
gone.  |
| Naptime!!! |
Although Nadia was alone when she
decided to go be one of the many companions at Jesus’ feet, I was not alone
when I walked in the house. I happened to be on the phone to someone who loved
Nadia just as much as I did…my momma. The next few hours were a little bumpy,
but I can’t tell you this story without telling you how amazing my child was during this
time. I will tell you enough to get my point across, but hopefully not too much
that it will embarrass him. First of all, he came straight home as soon as he
got the call from my mom. He stayed with me while I had my “moment” and then he
and his friend Justin took care of our Nadia. Not only did they take care of
her, but they went above and beyond. That’s a story for another post, but I
will tell you that Nadia is exactly where she needs to be and in a matter of
hours it was all taken care of and Colton displayed the most amazing care
taking characteristics & a maturity that I can't even explain. Skills that he is sure to tap into in
the days, weeks, and years to come.
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| Welcome Baby Abby & Baby Jeter!! |
I sat in my quiet living room in
disbelief that this being that had been in our lives for 12 years was now gone.
She’d seen Colton grow up! She’d moved with us several times while we lived in
Pampa, then moved to Amarillo, then moved back to Pampa, then back to Amarillo
AGAIN. She'd witnessed countless sleepless nights, our sadness, our laughter,
disagreements, the receiving of good news and some bad, she'd given birth to 6
puppies, had 2 of them die and spent the last year and half having our new
German Sheppard think she was a chew toy.
She lasted longer and showed more loyalty then some humans that had come
in and out of my life over the past 12 years.
She had her own special spot on my bed where she'd sleep, her favorite
place to lay in the kitchen and sat at my feet every single night of my life
for the past 12 years. She adjusted very well to my schedule, but was a
complete diva and had a schedule that I had to adjust too as well. Boomer and
Ally go to the backyard…Nadia goes to the front yard. She’s the only one that
sleeps on my bed, but when she gets too hot and starts "hot
flashing" she has a blanket under my bed that she prefers to sleep
on. She's the only pup that eats in the
house in the mornings and she gets to travel to Pampa for day trips while the
other two stay behind. She gets “special” food and gets to sleep under the
covers when we stay at Nana’s house while the others fight for their spots on
the bed. FYI...Mom and/or I are usually
fighting for our own spots as well! She
pretty much gets to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. What can I say...she's NADIA!!!
So now what??? I’ve spent the last
week adjusting to my new routine. It's weird and quiet and not normal. I no longer have to come home and let Nadia
out at lunch, before I take a trip to the store, or meet friends for dinner
after work. I took my first trip to Pampa this past weekend to visit my parents
without my traveling companion sitting in the passenger seat with her ears
blowing in the A/C. She would wag her
tail and bark uncontrollably every time I turned on 23rd because she knew we
were only a few blocks away at that point and would let me know it until we
pulled into my parents driveway. We had
a bigger routine together than I even realized and I miss it.
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| Ally & Nadia...bonding! |
I've always loved my animals but
thought that they were just that...animals, until last Tuesday. I don't feed them from the table, I don't
carry them around in designer bags, I don't let them roam the house while we're
gone, and I don't let them jump all over the furniture, unless of course the
furniture is covered by one of their blankets.
I mean we love our animals, but besides their special treats, favorite
spots to sleep and taking them on road trips I've never gone overboard with
them. Can I tell you that I wanted to
go overboard last Tuesday. It's not
like I wanted her to lay in state and be buried on a secluded island or
anything, but I didn't want 12 years to be over with in 2 hours either. Thankfully, I happen to have people in my
life who understood what I was going through and knew exactly what I
needed.
So, thank you to my friends and
family that cried with me and allowed me to carry on like a blubbering maniac,
thank you for the cards, the flowers, the text messages, the phone calls, and
especially to that Sweet Child of Mine who gave Nadia the best seat in the
house!!
And, thank you for allowing me to go overboard for the one pup that deserves to be gone overboard for!!
Nadia
December 1, 1999 - June 5, 2012
Nadia through the years...
