On Saturday, Aug. 4, we had to put our sweet golden retriever out of his misery. He lived with us his entire life, from March of 2000 until the day he died. Many people will attest to the fact that you can't go wrong with a Golden for a loving, gentle, loyal family pet. But Hobbes was exceptional. He came to us as our children were primed to leave the nest...Jen was actually in college, but had moved back home, and Adam graduated from high school the year we brought that puppy home. But Hobbes remembered, and loved, them all. As the kids left home over these last 12 years, college, marriage, Marine Corp, he was never quite as content. But whenever they came home, his world was complete. He was a 'talker'...the more you sweet-talked to him, the more he moaned, groaned and whimpered back to you! We joked that if we'd waited a little before naming him, he would have been Chewbacca! If anyone sat still for more than 3 seconds, he'd be at your side with a giant, teddy-bear paw resting on your leg. He loved tennis balls. When he was young and fit, he'd chase them until YOU were done. In his 'golden' years, (pun intended), he kinda gave up on actually chasing the ball, but he had Kelli trained so that when he came up and put his head on her lap, she'd just take the ball away from the puppy and hand it to him. At that point, he'd carry it away, lie down and chew it to his heart's content. He had a favorite blanket, an old comforter that we put on our bedroom floor and he'd dig at it and nest before bed each night. Now I know you all have stories like this about your furry companions, but I get to take my turn now and share all the little things about Hobbes that made him....Hobbes. The story about him that breaks my heart, other than him being gone, was what happened when our older dog, Riley, passed away. Riley was 9 when we got Hobbes, and Hobbes worshiped him. When Riley died 5 years later, Hobbes stopped eating. The kids would sit on the back step with dog food in their hands in order for him to eat. I was so sad that he was so lonesome, but not really anxious to rush out and get another dog. However, my mind was changed when I took Hobbes to the park one day. I hoped that by letting him run around and play, he'd feel better. But as I let him out of the car, a man and his dog were walking clear on the other side of the field, and the dog was black and white, just like Riley. Hobbes caught sight of them, and his whole body came alive. His ears went up and he took off like a shot, thinking that he'd finally found his buddy. I hollered at him and he came back, but I was sobbing as I put him back into the car and went home. Enter Lizzie. And yes, in a few years, if this blog still exists, I'll have an ode to her. Why do we do this to ourselves? Well, because every memory, every experience we share with our pets improves our lives and allows us someone who loves us unconditionally. Not many times we can say that about anyone.
Good Ol' Hobbes - January 14, 2000 - August 4, 2012
I will ALWAYS be eternally grateful for Jessica and the many hard days she pulled me through as I struggled to put my life back together after Daniel walked out on us both. On the other hand, whenever I need a good, heartwarming belly laugh these days I can ALWAYS count on Gretchen. She is truly a kid at heart. She is my "little girl" who gives love and company to the lonely puppy next door, whines when things aren't right for a sweet sister in my ward who lives around the corner (how Gretchen always knows there is something wrong on our walks I'll never know), and has a big, warm hug for me every day. Why do we do this to ourselves you ask? Because they are one of Heavenly Father's creations he made for us. There is a reason they have been called mans' best friend. Heavenly Father knew we would need them in our lives for many reasons when he created them, and they are worth all of the money we spend on them while they are alive and all of the tears shed when they pass on. They are part of our family.
ReplyDelete