6greyhounds Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 The Journey When you bring a greyhound 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. (How bizarre they are! How many kinds there are!), 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 dog-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the pet store aisle looking for the dog food brand your greyhound must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your greyhound enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie - with a greyhound in hot pursuit - all in the name of love. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that old plastic shopping bags are conveniently positioned by every house entrance for pick-up duty in the yard. 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. And you will learn humility. The look in my greyhound'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 greyhound 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 greyhound 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 greyhound that only yesterday was a racer is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun, waking 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. Author Unknown I hope this posts Quote It is better to have loved and lostThan never to have loved at allMissing my Big Blue eyed Bear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HornGreys Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Thank you for this post. It makes the losses mean something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greytful4 Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 A better tribute was never given..this has my beloved Kylie's name all over it..if I only had one more day with her.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6greyhounds Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 A better tribute was never given..this has my beloved Kylie's name all over it..if I only had one more day with her.... If I only had one more day with my Angels Queen Softee, Phawn, Shadow, Penny and Nikki Quote It is better to have loved and lostThan never to have loved at allMissing my Big Blue eyed Bear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Flysmom Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I think we all wish for just one more day, even one more hour, just to be able to tell our beloved Hounds how much they mean to us, how much we love them. 'The Journey' is a beautiful tribute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greytluv Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Absolutely beautiful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6greyhounds Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 I would of loved more time with my Angels but I remember a Nursery Rhyme when I was a child in the UK (not all of it) If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Then I add I would have you at my side. I really do not remember all of it maybe someone on the board does. I still like my version tho Quote It is better to have loved and lostThan never to have loved at allMissing my Big Blue eyed Bear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyGreys Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racindog Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 (edited) Slim is with me stiill -he is my soulmate from the spirit world-but oh how I miss him trying to bite me in this world! Thanks for posting this. Edited May 7, 2009 by racindog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ss556 Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Thank you, I needed to read this today. The pain is still raw. No truer love was had than between me and my greyhound. I miss those eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6greyhounds Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 I read about Alan on COG I also grieve with you I just lost Her Majesty Queen Softee on April 13. 3 years to the day I lost Phawn to OS. I know how raw the rain can be and your heart has a huge gaping hole. Hugs Quote It is better to have loved and lostThan never to have loved at allMissing my Big Blue eyed Bear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygang Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Thank you for sharing.... Quote Run free our beloved Sir Snowy, Pip, Queenie, Sadie, Tess & Rosie until we meet again......I would rather feel the thorn than to never see the rose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greytpups Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Very beautiful Quote Jan with precious pups Emmy (Stormin J Flag) and Simon (Nitro Si) and Abbey Field. Missing my angels: Bailey Buffetbobleclair 11/11/98-17/12/09; Ben Task Rapid Wave 5/5/02-2/11/15; Brooke Glo's Destroyer 7/09/06-21/06/16 and Katie Crazykatiebug 12/11/06 -21/08/21. My blog about grief The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not get over the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to. ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest how888 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 (edited) Just beautiful... I miss Howie so much.. He was my first greyhound... thanks so much for sharing...... Here is a pic of How.... Edited May 10, 2009 by how888 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6greyhounds Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 her COG I know what you mean about missing your Howie. I miss Shadow, my first, Phawn who was only 8 1/2 to OS, and recently Her Majesty Queen Softee. I still look for Softee and even look for that extra food bowl... Quote It is better to have loved and lostThan never to have loved at allMissing my Big Blue eyed Bear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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