Sometimes It Hits You Out Of The Blue...

[Guest Greensleeves]

Yesterday it had been six weeks since we said goodbye to Nelly, who we lost after a brief battle with kidney disease. If you don't remember Nelly, she was our Mamadog--the stray puppy we found on the highway, who'd been hit by a car, and was pregnant. We have her pups (who are now 7, and not really pups anymore!). Nelly was only 8 when she died, and her loss has been devastating.

 

I'm an author, and I've recently been invited to participate in anthology of ghost stories, so for research I ordered a bunch of books from my library. I picked them up yesterday afternoon, and grabbed the first one from the stack.

 

The first story I turned to, completely at random, on this anniversary of Nelly's death, happened to be Nancy Echementy's "Bigger than Death," which is the story of a stray black female dog who befriends two kids... it's not long before the kids realize the dog they name Shadow is really a ghost, and as she gradually fades before them, she leads them to a den by the highway... where she'd starved to death. Her four hungry puppies are crying beside her body.

 

:weep :weep :weep :weep :weep

 

DH found me sobbing in the living room. I had gotten to the point where I figured out that she was heading for her pups, and I just lost it. It took me three more tries to actually finish the story, and I'm glad I did. It was a good reminder that, as heartbroken as we are over how Nelly's story ended, it could have ended much earlier, and much worse. We're so lucky we found her when we did.

 

Sob.

 

 

[Guest greytfulhounds]

[scullysmum]

Many months after I lost my first dog Zoe (Collie cross) I was turning out my kitchen cupboards and I found a tin of lychees, they were her absolute favourite treat...it's like being hit in the stomach

[fsugrad]

We went through the same thing yesterday. My husband pulled out a dark blue sweater to wear last night and when he put it on, we noticed it was covered in little white Comet hairs. Comet is our angel whippet that went to the Bridge in July.

Edited November 17, 2008 by fsugrad

[Guest Pipi5]

I was sitting here while ago reading GT & I looked over & Gogh was in the same pose as Dear about this time last year before he died. It caught my heart....and it hurt.

I found Brogan's collar one time, his blue grey hairs were still attached.

 

[Guest Pipi5]

Ohmygosh, I just read the story & I can't stop crying.

http://www.etchemendy.com/kids.htm

 

[Guest brit1]

Sorry to hear of your loss I know what you mean. My little non grey went to the Bridge on August 1. I had adopted her 2007 after fostering her and her almost dying from an unknown fever. In my heart I guess I thought it would never happen again. But the fevers returned with vengeance and after consulting with top specialists in area she was put on meds (mostly high dose steroids). That was in March this year and she died in my arms on August 1 when the fever returned and my vet said to let her go in peace. Somehow because of this, knowing she had a hard life and finally came to me to know love and care, I can't get over her having to die. Today I was in health food store and suddenly the shelves seemed full of all the things I had tried to use to help her and I ended up having to leave and sob in my car. Sometimes at night I will suddenly remember her dear little face and how she loved me to hold her ears up and kiss them and I end up sobbing myself to sleep. My beloved epileptic Aussie passed in 2006 so his death is still fresh in my mind. Now I am almost paranoid about something happening to my current dog, when I recover enough I will adopt another because I fear coming home to an empty house and also fear for my sanity if something happens to him anne

Yesterday it had been six weeks since we said goodbye to Nelly, who we lost after a brief battle with kidney disease. If you don't remember Nelly, she was our Mamadog--the stray puppy we found on the highway, who'd been hit by a car, and was pregnant. We have her pups (who are now 7, and not really pups anymore!). Nelly was only 8 when she died, and her loss has been devastating.

 

I'm an author, and I've recently been invited to participate in anthology of ghost stories, so for research I ordered a bunch of books from my library. I picked them up yesterday afternoon, and grabbed the first one from the stack.

 

The first story I turned to, completely at random, on this anniversary of Nelly's death, happened to be Nancy Echementy's "Bigger than Death," which is the story of a stray black female dog who befriends two kids... it's not long before the kids realize the dog they name Shadow is really a ghost, and as she gradually fades before them, she leads them to a den by the highway... where she'd starved to death. Her four hungry puppies are crying beside her body.

 

:weep :weep :weep :weep :weep

 

DH found me sobbing in the living room. I had gotten to the point where I figured out that she was heading for her pups, and I just lost it. It took me three more tries to actually finish the story, and I'm glad I did. It was a good reminder that, as heartbroken as we are over how Nelly's story ended, it could have ended much earlier, and much worse. We're so lucky we found her when we did.

 

Sob.

 

[Guest SoulsMom]

[4greyhounds]

[patricia]

I know your every emotion. We have some sad anniversaries coming up next month...there isn't a day we don't miss and love them even though they are in a better place.

[Guest brandi007]

I know what you mean

[DunesMom]

 

It happens nearly every day to me, too. Six weeks and two days, and sometimes I think I hear Dune's nails on the tile floor, and my heart pushes up and out like it's going to leave my chest. Then I remember that he's gone, and the tears start. Like now.

 

[Guest DebR]

[Guest greytexplorer]

[fourofem]

Sometimes it's the strangest things that will all of a sudden have me thinking of one of them....Bill, Bob, Ellie, Beacon or Homey. Sometimes it makes me smile and other times I still cry. I don't think that will ever change.

[Guest HeatherDemps]

I understand.

 

It's been almost 3 months since we said goodbye to Dempsey. Yesterday was a hard day with more tears and I didn't understand why. Then right around bedtime, I found his hospital collar from when he was in ICU after the amputation. It hit me then- it was right around Thanksgiving last year when he first limped, then right before Christmas when we got the osteo diagnosis. On top of that, the first holidays without him are going to be rough.... Miss that boy every single day.

 

Hugs to you.

[Fiona3]

It's so true how when you least expect it there are those sad moments that hit. A few days ago I was out with the dogs at night in the yard and looked up at the sky - there was the moon shining brightly. I felt this rush of pain that Hobbes was gone. For the last 1-1/2 years of his life every time Hobbes went outside I went with him, no matter what the weather, in blizzards, in rain and at 3:00 am every morning when he couldn't last the night & needed to go. Out we would go with my flashlight. During those early hours he & I shared many lovely moments. The quiet night, the moon overhead, the clouds blowing by in the sky, the special feeling that everyone else is still asleep and it's just the two of us. He would come and lean against me and look up at the sky and just listen. It became almost a ritual. Then I would bring him him, tuck him in his blanket and give him a cookie. He was such a gentle soul and we grew closer than ever during his last year. Everytime I see the moon at night I remember those moments, sometimes I smile and at others it brings back his loss.

 

Hugs to all who are feeling their own loss.

[Guest StriderDog]

What a haunting story. I can't even begin to think how I will survive when my Strider leaves me one day. He's everything to me.

 

I'm so sorry for everyone's losses and the shock that comes with the reminders of that loss.

[Guest Winterwish]

[Guest gottaluvgreysindy]

 

It happens nearly every day to me, too. Six weeks and two days, and sometimes I think I hear Dune's nails on the tile floor, and my heart pushes up and out like it's going to leave my chest. Then I remember that he's gone, and the tears start. Like now.

 

 

Boy can I relate to this......My boy hasn't been gone a week yet and I just doubt that my heart will ever be whole again.

[Guest 4baddogs]

When Flash died, I was driving home after picking up his ashes and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" came on the radio. There was a rainbow in the sky. That was my big sign from him. To this day, if I hear a single note from that song, I burst into sobs.

 

When Nate died, some song about a bad day was popular. Same thing happens when I hear that song.

 

Jesse died just 4 months ago and it doesn't even take a song to make me cry.

 

I rarely come to this forum because I'll be a sobbing fool for hours. But it's selfish of me if I don't, so I'll deal with it for others who need the suppor that they've kindly given me.