Goodbye Oliver T :-(
in [Pet-Loss]
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From: Steve on 25 May 2008 21:53 Oliver T the Boxer dog: Born 26/04/1996 - Died 22/05/2008 For those Boxer Babies in the sky Who have left our loving arms Don't stop to ask or wonder why Just know they're free from harm No pain or fright confronts them now They've left that all behind They're embracing joy and freedom And still live in our minds Eyes are bright and seeing clear Velvet skin is healed Legs aren't stiff, and ears can hear Our love they still can feel Embrace their memory, hold it tight Wipe away your tears The Boxer joy that filled your life Will last throughout the years Think of them with happy thoughts Say a thankful prayer All those happy Boxer angels Still know that we care Goodbye our dear, loyal friend, we *all* miss you *so* much :-( Snore your way to heaven, Ollie. God bless.
From: Noon Cat Nick on 26 May 2008 00:35 Steve wrote: > Oliver T the Boxer dog: Born 26/04/1996 - Died 22/05/2008 > > > For those Boxer Babies in the sky > Who have left our loving arms > Don't stop to ask or wonder why > Just know they're free from harm > > No pain or fright confronts them now > They've left that all behind > They're embracing joy and freedom > And still live in our minds > > Eyes are bright and seeing clear > Velvet skin is healed > Legs aren't stiff, and ears can hear > Our love they still can feel > > Embrace their memory, hold it tight > Wipe away your tears > The Boxer joy that filled your life > Will last throughout the years > > Think of them with happy thoughts > Say a thankful prayer > All those happy Boxer angels > Still know that we care > > > > Goodbye our dear, loyal friend, we *all* miss you *so* much :-( > > Snore your way to heaven, Ollie. > > God bless. Strange that so small mortality should leave So large an emptiness! for as we grieve Your little life of few but happy years Ended for us, one who could understand Each subtle word, and answer hand with hand Had hardly taken greater toll of tears. Yet why should we not mourn for as a friend? That name was yours; if every man would spend His life as well, earth were not hard to save. Grant that God made your heart and brain but small. What more has an archangel than his all? And all God gave to you, to us you gave. --Amelia Josephine Burr ================================ Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. --Anatole France ================================ We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan. --Irving Townsend ================================ Mankind�s true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it. --Milan Kundera ================================ I believe that the loss of a beloved companion animal is like no other loss because our relationships with animals are like no other. Our culture tells us that an animal companion is an engaging toy, and that our grief over its death is alarming and ill-paced. And our culture is just flat wrong....Animals are more to us than we know. Their partnership with us is a holy one that endures across a lifetime and possibly beyond. --Susan Chernak McElroy ================================ Comrades of our past were they, Of that unreturning day. Changed and aging, they and we Dwelt, it seemed, in sympathy. Alway from their presence broke Somewhat which remembrance woke Of the loved, the lost, the young-- Yet they died, and died unsung.... Fare thee well, companion dear! Fare for ever well, nor fear, Tiny though thou art, to stray Down the uncompanion'd way! We without thee, little friend, Many years have not to spend; What are left, will hardly be Better than we spent with thee. --Matthew Arnold ================================ THERE IS A NEW STAR SHINING IN THE SKY TONIGHT... by Sarah Hartwell There is an old belief that the stars shining in the night sky are the spirits of those who have died. They have shed their earthly bodies and exchanged them for bodies made of light; thousands upon thousands of our dear departed friends all promoted to glory in the night sky. There is another saying that the brightest flame burns the shortest. My friend, you were the brightest star in my own universe. While I burn on, my flame dimmed by grief and despair at your passing, the stars are watching me. They are too far away for me to touch, just as you have gone somewhere I cannot follow until my own star-time comes. They cannot be held close for comfort, just as I can no longer hold you close. We were together for such a short time, but the stars will burn forever. One day I will grow tired of this earthbound body, my own star-time will come and my spirit will soar into the sky to burn with all those friends who have gone before me. On the inky cloth of space we will be reunited in constellations of joy. Until then, my flame burns low and dim and cold without you. Through my tears I look upwards to see if you are watching me and what do I see? There is a new star shining in the sky tonight. ================================ LIVING LOVE (THE FOURTH DAY) by Martin Scot Kosins If you ever love an animal, there are three days in your life you will always remember... The first is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your young new friend. You may have spent weeks deciding on a breed. You may have asked numerous opinions of many vets, or done long research in finding a breeder. Or, perhaps in a fleeting moment, you may have just chosen that silly-looking mutt in a shelter--simply because something in its eyes reached your heart. But when you bring that chosen pet home, and watch it explore, and claim its special place in your hall or front room--and when you feel it brush against you for the first time--it instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through the many years to come. The second day will occur eight or nine or ten years later. It will be a day like any other. Routine and unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your long-time friend and see age where you once saw youth. You will see slow deliberate steps where you once saw energy. And you will see sleep where you once saw activity. So you will begin to adjust your friend's diet--and you may add a pill or two to her food. And you may feel a growing fear deep within yourself, which bodes of a coming emptiness. And you will feel this uneasy feeling, on and off, until the third day finally arrives. And on this day--if your friend and God have not decided for you, then you will be faced with making a decision of your own--on behalf of your lifelong friend, and with the guidance of your own deepest Spirit. But whichever way your friend eventually leaves you--you will feel as alone as a single star in the dark night. If you are wise, you will let the tears flow as freely and as often as they must. And if you are typical, you will find that not many in your circle of family or friends will be able to understand your grief, or comfort you. But if you are true to the love of the pet you cherished through the many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul--a bit smaller in size than your own--seems to walk with you, at times, during the lonely days to come. And at moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, you may feel something brush against your leg--very very lightly. And looking down at the place where your dear, perhaps dearest, friend used to lay--you will remember those three significant days. The memory will most likely be painful, and leave an ache in your heart. As time passes the ache will come and go as it has a life of its own. You will both reject it and embrace it, and it may confuse you. If you reject it, it will depress you. If you embrace it, it will deepen you. Either way, it will still be an ache. But there will be, I assure you, a fourth day when--along with the memory of your pet--and piercing through the heaviness in your heart--there will come a realization that belongs only to you. It will be as unique and strong as our relationship with each animal we have loved, and lost. This realization takes the form of a Living Love--like the heavenly scent of a rose that remains after the petals have wilted, this love will remain and grow--and be there for us to remember. It is a love we have earned. It is the legacy our pets leave us when they go. And it is a gift we may keep with us as long as we live. It is a love which is ours alone. And until we ourselves leave, perhaps to join our beloved pets--it is a love that we will always possess. ================================ Since you have gone the sun has left the sky, No breezes blow, No birds sing To ease the aching vacuum in my heart. I shall not forget your gentle ways; No judgements made, No difficult demands, No needs save one, To share your life with mine. Now kind, uncomprehending people say, "Cheer up, you'll love another pet some day." --Hilda Lunn ================================ When humans die, they make a will To leave their homes, and all they Have to those they love. I too would make a will, if I could write. To some poor, wistful, lonely stray I'd leave my happy home, My dish, my cozy bed, my cushioned chair, my toy, The well-loved lap, The gently stroking hand, The loving voice, The place I made in someone's heart. If I should die, Oh! Do not say: "No more a pet I'll have To grieve me by its loss." Seek out some lonely, unloved dog And give my place to him. This is my legacy, The love I leave behind, 'Tis all I have to give. --Margaret Trowton ================================ My little dog ten years ago Was arrogant and spry, His backbone was a bended bow For arrows in his eye. His step was proud, his bark was loud, His nose was in the sky, But he was ten years younger then, And so, by God, was I. Small birds on stilts along the beach Rose up with piping cry, And as they flashed beyond his reach I thought to see him fly. If natural law refused him wings, That law he would defy, For he could do unheard-of things, And so, at times, could I. Ten years ago he split the air To seize what he could spy; Tonight he bumps against a chair, Betrayed by milky eye. He seems to pant, Time up, time up! My little dog must die, And lie in dust with Hector's pup; So, presently, must I. --Ogden Nash ================================ I wish someone had given Jesus a dog As loyal and loving as mine To sleep by His manger and gaze in His eyes And adore Him for being divine. As our Lord grew to manhood, His faithful dog Would have followed Him all through the day While He preached to the crowds and made the sick well And knelt in the garden to pray. It is sad to remember that Christ went away To face death alone and apart With no tender dog following close behind To comfort its Master's heart. And when Jesus rose on that Easter morn, How happy He would have been As His dog kissed His hands and barked its delight For the One Who died for all men. Well, the Lord has a dog now, I just sent Him mine, The old pal so dear to me, And I smile through my tears on this first day alone Knowing they're in eternity. Day after day, the whole day through-- Wherever my road inclined-- Four feet said, "I am coming with you!" And trotted along behind. --Rudyard Kipling ================================ Master, this is Thy Servant. He is rising eight weeks old. He is mainly Head and Tummy. His legs are uncontrolled. But Thou hast forgiven his ugliness, and settled him on Thy knee... Art Thou content with Thy Servant? He is very comfy with Thee. Master, behold a Sinner! He hath committed a wrong. He hath defiled Thy Premises through being kept in too long. Wherefore his nose has been rubbed in the dirt and his self-respect has been bruised. Master, pardon Thy Sinner, and see he is properly loosed. Master, again Thy Sinner! This that was once Thy Shoe, He has found and taken and carried aside, as fitting matter to chew. Now there is neither blacking nor tongue, and the Housemaid has us in tow, Master, remember Thy Servant is young, and tell her to let him go! Master, extol Thy Servant, he has met a most Worthy Foe! There has been fighting all over the Shop--and into the Shop also! Till cruel umbrellas parted the strife (or I might have been choking him yet), But Thy Servant has had the Time of his Life--and now shall we call on the vet? Master, behold Thy Servant! Strange children came to play, And because they fought to caress him, Thy Servant wentedst away. But now that the Little Beasts have gone, he has returned to see (Brushed--with his Sunday collar on) what they left over from tea. *************************************************** Master, pity Thy Servant! He is deaf and three parts blind. He cannot catch Thy Commandments. He cannot read Thy Mind. Oh, leave him not to his loneliness; nor make him that kitten's scorn. He hath had no other God than Thee since the year that he was born. Lord, look down on Thy Servant! Bad things have come to pass. There is no heat in the midday sun, nor health in the wayside grass. His bones are full of an old disease--his torments run and increase. Lord, make haste with Thy Lightnings and grant him a quick release! --Rudyard Kipling ================================ There is sorrow enough in the natural way From men and women to fill our day; But when we are certain of sorrow in store, Why do we always arrange for more? Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear. Buy a pup and your money will buy Love unflinching that cannot lie-- Perfect passion and worship fed By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head. Nevertheless it is hardly fair To risk your heart for a dog to tear. When the fourteen years that nature permits Are closing in asthma or tumors or fits And the vet's unspoken prescription runs To lethal chambers, or loaded guns, Then you will find--it's your own affair But--you've given your heart to a dog to tear. When the body that lived at your single will, With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!), When the spirit that answered your every mood Is gone--wherever it goes--for good, You still discover how much you care And will give your heart to a dog to tear. We've sorrow enough in the natural way When it comes to burying Christian clay. Our loves are not given, but only lent, At compound interest of cent per cent. Though it is not always the case, I believe, That the longer we've kept 'em the more do we grieve; For when debts are payable, right or wrong, A short time loan is as bad as a long-- So why in Heaven (before we are there) Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear? --Rudyard Kipling ================================ CHOICES by Anne Kolaczyk The little orange boy stopped. Behind him, kitties were playing, chasing each other and wrestling in the warm sunshine. It looked like so much fun, but in front of him, through the clear stillness of the pond's water, he could see his mommy. And she was crying. He pawed at the water, trying to get at her, and when that didn't work, he jumped into the shallow water. All that got him was wet and Mommy's image danced away in the ripples. "Mommy!" he cried. "Is something wrong?" The little orange boy turned around. A lady was standing at the edge of the pond, her eyes sad but filled with love. The little orange boy sighed and walked out of the water. "There's been a mistake," he said. "I'm not supposed to be here." He looked back at the water. It was starting to still again and his mommy's image was coming back. "I'm just a baby. Mommy said it had to be a mistake. She said I wasn't supposed to come here yet." The kind lady sighed and sat down on the grass. The little orange boy climbed into her lap. It wasn't Mommy's lap, but it was almost as good. When she started to pet him and scratch under his chin like he liked, he started to purr. He hadn't wanted to, but he couldn't help it. "I'm afraid there is no mistake. You are supposed to be here and your mommy knows it deep down in her heart," the lady said. The little orange boy sighed and laid his head on the lady's leg. "But she's so sad. It hurts me to see her cry. And Daddy too." "But they knew right from the beginning this would happen." "That I was sick?" That surprised the little orange boy. No one had ever said anything and he had listened when they thought he was sleeping. All he had heard them talk about was how cute he was or how fast he was or how big he was getting. "No, not that you were sick," the lady said. "But you see, they chose tears." "No, they didn't," the little orange boy argued. Who would choose to cry? The lady gently brushed the top of his head with a kiss. It made him feel safe and loved and warm--but he still worried about his mommy. "Let me tell you a story," the lady said. The little orange boy looked up and saw other animals gathering around. Cats--Big Boy and Snowball and Shamus and Abby and little Cleo and Robin. Merlin and Toby and Iggy and Zachary. Sweetie and Kamatte and Obie. Dogs too--Sally and Baby and Morgan and Rocky and Belle. Even a lizard named Clyde and some rats named Saffron and Becky and a hamster named Odo. They all lay down near the kind lady and looked up at her, waiting. She smiled at them and began: ******************************************** A long long time ago, the Loving Ones went to the Angel in Charge. They were lonesome and asked the angel to help them. The angel took them to a wall of windows and let them look out the first window at all sorts of things--dolls and stuffed animals and cars and toys and sporting events. "Here are things you can love," the angel said. "They will keep you from being lonesome." "Oh, thank you," the Loving Ones said. "These are just what we need." "You have chosen Pleasure," the angel told them. But after a time the Loving Ones came back to the Angel in Charge. "Things are okay to love," they said. "But they don't care that we love them." The Angel in Charge led them over to the second window. It looked out at all sorts of wild animals. "Here are animals to love," he said. "They will know you love them." So the Loving Ones hurried out to care for the wild animals. "You have chosen Satisfaction," the angel said. Some of the Loving Ones worked at zoos and wild animal preserves, some just had bird feeders in their yards, but after a time they all came back to the Angel in Charge. "They know we love them," they told the angel. "But they don't love us back. We want to be loved in return." So the angel took them to the third window and showed them lots of people walking around, hurrying places. "Here are people for you to love," the angel told them. So the Loving Ones hurried off to find other people to love. "You have chosen Commitment," the angel said. But after a time a lot of Loving Ones came back to the Angel in Charge. "People were okay to love," they said. "But sometimes they stopped loving us and left. They broke our hearts." The angel just shook his head. "I cannot help you," he said. "You will have to be satisfied with the choices I gave you." As the Loving Ones were leaving, someone saw a window off to one side and hurried to look out. Through it, they could see puppies and kittens and dogs and cats and lizards and hamsters and ferrets. The other Loving Ones hurried over. "What about these?" they asked. But the angel just tried to shoo them away. "Those are Personal Empathy Trainers," he said. "But there's a problem with their system operations." "Would they know that we love them?" someone asked. "Yes," the angel said. "Would they love us back?" another asked. "Yes," the angel said. "Will they stop loving us?" someone else asked. "No," the angel admitted. "They will love you forever." "Then these are what we want," the Loving Ones said. But the angel was very upset. "You don't understand," he told them. "You will have to feed these animals." "That's all right," the Loving Ones said. "You will have to clean up after them and take care of them forever." "We don't care." The Loving Ones did not listen. They went down to where the Pets were and picked them up, seeing the love in their own hearts reflected in the animals' eyes. "They were not programmed right," the angel said. "We can't offer a warranty. We don't know how durable they are. Some of their systems malfunction very quickly, others last a long time." But the Loving Ones did not care. They were holding the warm little bodies and finding their hearts so filled with love that they thought they would burst. "We will take our chances," they said. "You do not understand." The angel tried one more time. "They are so dependent on you that even the most well-made of them is not designed to outlive you. You are destined to suffer their loss." The Loving Ones looked at the sweetness in their arms and nodded. "That is how it should be. It is a fair trade for the love they offer." The angel just watched them all go, shaking his head. "You have chosen Tears," he whispered. ******************************************** "So it is," the kind lady told the kitties. "And so each mommy and daddy knows. When they take a baby into their heart, they know that one day it will leave them and they will cry." The little orange boy sat up. "So why do they take us in?" he asked. "Because even a moment of your love is worth years of pain later." "Oh." The little orange boy got off the lady's lap and went back to the edge of the pond. His mommy was still there, and still crying. "Will she ever stop crying?" he asked the kind lady. She nodded. "You see, the Angel felt sorry for the Loving Ones, knowing how much they would suffer. He couldn't take the tears away but he made them special." She dipped her hand into the pond and let the water trickle off her fingers. "He made them healing tears, formed from the special water here. Each tear holds bits of all the happy times of purring and petting and shared love. And the promise of love once again. As your mommy cries, she is healing. "In time, she will be less sad and she will smile when she thinks of you. And then she will open her heart again to another little baby." "But then she will cry again one day," the little orange boy said. The lady just smiled at him as she got to her feet. "No, she will love again. That is all she will think about." She picked up Big Boy and Snowball and gave them hugs, then scratched Morgan's ear just how she liked. "Look," she said. "The butterflies have come. Shall we go over to play?" The other animals all ran ahead, but the little orange boy wasn't ready to leave his mommy. "Will I ever get to be with her again?" The kind lady nodded. "You'll be in the eyes of every kitty she looks at. You'll be in the purr of every cat she pets. And late at night, when she's fast asleep, your spirit will snuggle up close to her and you both will feel at peace. One day soon, you can even send her a rainbow to tell her you're safe and waiting here for when it's her turn to come." "I would like that," the little orange boy said and took one long look at his mommy. He saw her smile slightly through her tears and he knew she had remembered the time he almost fell into the bathtub. "I love you, Mommy," he whispered. "It's okay if you cry." He glanced over at the others, running and playing and laughing with the butterflies. "Uh, Mommy? I gotta go play now, okay? But I'll be around, I promise." Then he turned and raced after the others. ================================ Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you... I loved you so-- 'twas Heaven here with you. --Isla Paschal Richardson ================================ Farewell, my friends, yet not farewell, Where I go you too shall dwell. I am gone before your face, A moment's time, a little space. When you come where I have stepped, You will wonder why you wept. --Edwin Arnold ================================ Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep. I am in a thousand winds that blow, I am the softly falling snow. I am the gentle showers of rain, I am the fields of ripening grain. I am in the morning hush, I am in the graceful rush Of beautiful birds in circling flight, I am the starshine of the night. I am in the flowers that bloom, I am in a quiet room, I am the birds that sing, I am in each lovely thing. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there. I do not die. --Mary K. Frye ================================ THE JOURNEY by Crystal Ward Kent When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey--a journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet also test your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark. Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures--jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. Your pace may be slower except when heading home to the food dish--but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details--the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows: that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own. Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching summer insects collecting on a screen or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by. You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewy toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie--with a cat in hot pursuit--all in the name of love. Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound. You will learn the true measure of love--the steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together." Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race (so true!). And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway. If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to be, the one they were proud to call beloved friend. I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go. A pet's time on earth is far too short--especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for a while, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left. The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle now gray. Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must for it is all they ask in return. When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let them run on ahead--young and whole once more. "Godspeed, good friend," we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again. ================================ Deep peace of the running wave to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to you. Deep peace of the quiet earth to you. Deep peace of the shining stars to you. Deep peace of the infinite peace to you. --adapted from Gaelic runes ================================ Aion�a afto� e mn�me--May his memory be eternal. --from the Eastern Orthodox requiem service ================================ Warm summer sun Shine kindly here, Warm southern wind Blow softly here, Green sod above Lie light, lie light-- Good night, dear heart, Good night, good night. --Robert Richardson, adapted from his poem "Annette" in _Willow and Wattle_ (1893) by Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) as the epitaph for his daughter, Olivia Susan Clemens Take care, Nicholas
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