PRAYERS AND PEACOCKS : A COMPANION LIKE NO OTHER

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???

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?

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.

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.

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