Farewell to a Grand lady

How many tears do you shed when you lose a grand old Lady?  I’ve been crying all day and I know the tears aren’t going to stop any time soon.

This Lady was amazing: faithful, loyal, intelligent, and brave.  She loved to play, she was always at my side the minute I stepped out of the house, and she would (and did several times) tackle a bear when necessary.   

Lady was our huge and beautiful German Shepherd and this morning we had to have her put down.  At age 12 and ½ her body was failing her, she couldn’t walk anymore, and vital systems were shutting down.  To keep her longer because we wanted to avoid the pain of losing her would have been cruel to her.

 Wasn't she beautiful?

Despite her arthritis, despite her deafness, and despite all the other age-related ailments that plagued her over the last year, her greatest joy in life was to be close to us.  And we loved her, even when she chewed the lattice off the brand new deck years ago, even when she pestered us for ear rubs by thrusting her big head into our laps when we were sitting outside, even when I couldn’t have flower pots on the patio because she was addicted to snapping up and eating wasps and bees.  We just loved her.

 This morning I got to hold her head one last time, gaze into her eyes, and give her one more ear rub while the vet did what she had to do.  Then it was just Lady and I in that cold, impersonal room.  Her heart had already stopped but I couldn’t bear to leave her right away, so I stayed and whispered over and over what a good dog she is and how much we love her until the final muscle twitches stopped.

Then I walked out of the clinic, alone, with her leash and collar dangling empty from my hand.

A DOG FOR JESUS

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.

(Written By: Rudyard Kipling)

I’ll see you again, my beautiful Lady-dog.  Bye for now.