Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Dear Maizy,
Today my heart is breaking. Knowing that each day that passes, we are one day closer to saying goodbye to you, our trusted confidante, beloved friend and faithful companion. There are no words to describe the tremendous joy, happiness, entertainment and love you have brought to our lives these past 15 years. To people who would say, you are just a dog, I would say they are so wrong. You brought so much laughter to our lives, so much happiness, so much companionship that it is impossible to think what our lives will be like without you.
But as happens in the life of every living thing, the end must come. For you, it will be after 15 years in a loving home with people you loved unconditionally and who gave you unconditional love in return. Now at the end of your life, we miss seeing your toothy smile with your tongue hanging out, tail wagging with excitement, ears perked ready for action. We miss the brightness in your eyes and now find only a look of sad resignation since you can barely hear, if at all, your sight is going, you are confused and your joints are arthritic and painful. You sometimes walk with a limp, or get yourself stuck behind an open door and do not know how to get out. We are so sad to see you quickly leave a room head down, tail down, looking embarrassed and ashamed when you have had an accident. We understand and gladly clean up after you but how can we keep putting
you through such indignity?
We miss your wet sloppy kisses. We miss you trying to get your 52 pound frame into our laps. We miss seeing you joyfully loping along when going for a walk. We miss your excited barking and jumping when the Packers score a touchdown. Remember when you would stand before us and demand that we get you a chew bone when we were watching a Packer game? Now you just find a quiet corner where you can peacefully fall asleep and be undisturbed.
So we have no choice but to spare you any more indignity, pain or sadness. You look at me with eyes that say you are tired and old and in need of protection. And we have chosen to protect you from more pain, more deterioration, and more isolation. We know it is the right thing to do – that it may be the most important thing we have ever done for you. And yet it hurts beyond measure.
Today my heart is breaking. But I keep telling you over and over how much we love you, how much you have meant to us all these years. You lifted us up when we were sad, gave us your companionship when we were alone, listened intently when we needed to bare our souls. You have always been a true friend. Maizy, if you lived another hundred years, we could never do as much for you as you have done for us. We cannot thank you enough for that.
I pray that your passing will be peaceful and that I will be your comfort in your last moments. That my face will be the last thing you see, my words of comfort and love will be the last thing you hear, and my hand stroking you will be the last thing you feel. And I pray that at that moment, you will be free and whole again and that when our time comes, you will be waiting with an eager heart for us to be together again. It is with that hope that we will carve a future with loving memories of you. Our Maizy Moo you will be missed tremendously, but never forgotten.
Epilogue:
At 5:50 pm on Friday, October 30, 2009, our beloved Maizy sprinted across the Rainbow Bridge to find her frienemy, Freckles. We know she is running, jumping and swimming and her heart is content. She is finding toys to play with and teasing Freckles once again and sometimes, she glances back and smiles knowing that her family will never forget her and anticipating their happy reunion one day.
Letter to Maizy,
| Maizy |
| 30, Oct 2009 |
| Pat & Patti Beck |