Remembering Those We've Loved Part 1

An unfortunate part of life involves saying goodbye to those we love, and who pass along.  I've found that creating a unique memoir to those we've loved and lost to be a comforting way to honor the special place they held in our lives.  And, also, to give the opportunity to DISPLAY those memories instead of just packing those feelings away in a box.  For those of you who know me, I am quite a dog lover.  I volunteered with animal rescue for many many years, and every dog I have owned has been a rescue in need of love and rehabilitation.  My first rescue love was Bear, a rottweiler/shepherd mix, who had been rejected by her owners at the age of 6 months, due to her large size and rambunctious behavior.  Bear and I had our work cut out for us, as she was quite headstrong, and weighed in at about 70 pounds, even at such a young age.  However, we stuck through it, loyal to each other, and the rewards were tremendous.  When my children were babies, she kept a close eye on them, much like the dog character "Nana" in "Peter Pan".  She faithfully patrolled our house, alerting us to anything suspicious, and when my husband began traveling overnight on a regular basis, she would actually stay awake all night, and patrol the downstairs, going from window to window, and door to door, giving my young boys and I a sense of safety.  She was our Guardian Angel.  Over the years, she developed arthritis, but still remained vigilant, though at the same time very friendly to those we welcomed in to our house.  As she limped along, she taught us that every day of life is a joy, and we all have our jobs to do, pain and physical limitations notwithstanding.  In December of 2009, she became very clingy, which was unusual for her.  She had always been a "Momma's girl", but this was different - she would make eye contact, and almost seem to convey the message to me that her time was near.  For two nights, I slept on the floor with her, and she was delighted to have my undivided attention, as she didn't have to compete with the other dogs for my affections.  She almost seemed to pop back to her normal self.  But on December 20, 2009, she crossed the Rainbow Bridge, naturally, here in our home.  She hadn't been showing any signs of major disease, but that morning, she just laid down, and made that intense eye contact with me again.  I laid her down on my favorite blanket, and laid with her until she passed.  I couldn't have asked for a more peaceful, comfortable journey for her.  Because she had been such a wonderful, beloved part of the family, I was not simply satisfied with just having her pictures - dating from puppyhood on - shut in a scrapbook.  So, I made a photo collage, choosing pictures that represented different phases of her life, and her place in our family.  It now hangs in a 12 x 12  frame in our home for all to see.    Not only was the making of this frame a tribute to a wonderful pet, it was also an incredible way for me to sort through my grief, and to CELEBRATE her life.