A Tribute to the Life of Winston
by
Jennifer Lawrence
He was outgoing and great company. He expected kindness and respect and
understanding from everyone and in return he offered loyalty and oh so
much love. He was putty in the hands of anyone who even looked his way.
Pat him on the head and you had a friend for life. His undemanding
nature and congenial way made him popular in our neighborhood with humans
and dogs alike. A good athlete he loved to play chase and catch the
ball. He was a sweet loving and very kind little boy. He was a lover
not a fighter and disliked confrontations of any kind. He smiled all the
time. He was fun-loving and puppy-like almost till the end.
He was Winston a black and tan cocker mix with huge paws a face like a
lion and the most beautiful long curly fluffy ears you ever saw. Winston
joined our family and ran his first paw print across our hearts when he
was just a wee lad barely five weeks old.
Our children were growing up and away and he was just what the Doctor
ordered for me. For almost 14 years he filled our lives with a joy the
like we would never have known were it not for his presence. He was very
distinct in his likes and dislikes. His dislikes were few.
Getting his feet wet was one so we always made sure to put booties on
him if we went for a walk after it had rained – of course he had no
problem plopping full body down and rolling over and over in the first
big water puddle we came to. He was also adverse to being alone so we
made sure he rarely was.
I was working as a volunteer at the local high school my children
attended when Winston joined our family. I put him in a box and took him
with me to school each day. He became the “school baby”.
His little lion face can be seen smiling at you from several of the high
school yearbook editions.
He liked what I liked and he ate what I ate (if I would let him). Due to
trauma suffered during my childhood I am deathly afraid of cats. I
instilled that fear in Winston. It’s weird how so like us they can
become. If we were out for a walk and came upon a cat he ran just as
fast to get away from it as I did. Winston really never suffered the
normal afflictions attributed to his breed – of course he was not a
purebred so perhaps that ran in his favor.
Good thing too as he had plenty of other “human” afflictions to deal with.
His vet told him many times he was very lucky he had me for a mom. T’was
I who was the lucky one. I have so many precious memories; so many
wonderful funny stories of all our years together.
His pillow! – When he was just a wee little thing he was always propping
his head on anything nearby when he was lying down. Daughter Erin gave
him a happy face pillow that she had been given as a baby. This pillow
was 16 years old when Winston inherited it. He carried it for the rest of
his life. It became like a “security blanket”. He was never far from it.
He had so much personality.
One hot summer we started going by ’31 Flavors’ on our daily excursion
to the park to play. A single scoop in a cup for mom single scoop in a
cup for Winston a single in a cup for sister Nikki. After several weeks
of this activity Winston got so he wouldn’t eat. Worried I took him to
the vet distraught that he had quit eating. The vet showed great
consternation especially due to the fact that he had gained almost 8
pounds since his last visit. I’ll never forget. The vet said “You mean
he is not eating at all?” I replied “No nothing except the ice cream.”
“Ice Cream”? came her reply. I explained what with the heat and all. The
vet ask me if I had any idea how much “fat” there was in a single scoop.
I had to admit my ignorance. Needless to say that was the last of ice
cream adventures. So many wonderful years together.
So many joyful memories.
October 9,1998 marks the one year anniversary of our loss.
As I type this that familiar feeling of suffocation begins to engulf me.
I take a deep breath and I try to relax. I really hate that with each
passing day my little boy gets further and further from me.
This has been the most devastating thing that has happened in our family.
As hard as it has been for we human family members
it has been more so for our little lab mix Nikki.
The process of euthanasia was something we knew little or nothing about.
We made some very huge mistakes.
The first mistake was putting our faith and trust in the vet.
The second mistake was not including Nikki in everything that
was happening to her brother. In a sense Winston was her mate
and they did everything together. All she knows is that he was not well,
he left one day with mom and dad and she never saw him again.
It’s going on a year now and she still grieves for him. She doesn’t smile anymore.
We still do many of the same things but she no longer finds the
joy in them she once did.
She is not the same girl she was before he went away.
A year later she still goes out into the yard to look for him she comes
back inside looks at me accusingly moans softly and lies down on her bed.
Although it’s too late for us and for Nikki I read two different stories
that it is advisable if there are two pets in the family who are very close
and have lived together for a long time and one of them becomes very ill
and must be euthanized the other pet should be taken along so when
the procedure is over the one left behind can smell their beloved.
They will then know what has happened.
And the other:
If a dog can see for itself that it’s mate has died it appears that the
surviving animal has an instinctual ability to comprehend death.
However the actual process of euthanasia should not be witnessed
by the surviving mate. The opportunity post mortem to see the
mate is the important element. A dog cannot make the fine distinction
between euthanasia and killing.
But in either way they will still grieve but they will no longer wonder.
Though Winston is gone from us in a physical sense.
He lives on in our hearts and all the
very special memories we have of him,
keep him close to us.
| Winston |