My Precious Girl

[Jane Scott]

Oh Christine;
Tears are flowing as I type this - I am so sorry for your loss. May I share a beautiful poem (author unknown) that may ease your sorrow.

You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back, or you can open your eyes ans see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her, or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her only that she is gone or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn you back.
Or you can do what she'd want:
Smile, Open your eyes, Love and Go On.

Sincerely, Jane

[Christine]

Dear Jane,

Thank you for those beautiful thoughts and they are so true. My emotions have been such a roller coaster since Saturday. I am grateful that she went in a peaceful way; I know that her discomfort is over and she has all of her strength back and her eyesight too, but I wish she were still here with me. I will have so many extra hours in my day and I plan to make them count in her honor.

So many "so called" coincidences have happened in our lives lately. The first is the arrival of a chow/lab mix whom we came close to taking to a nearby no-kill, adoption center after not being able to find her owners. (My other heart dog was a black chow named Watson who I always thought sent Bailey to me.) That changed when we saw her total respect for Bailey and her condition. This 9-month old, happy go lucky, energetic, always ready to play pup was content to step back and give me room to help Bailey in and out and only wanted to come up and gently kiss and lick her unless I put my hand up for her to step back.
Bailey, who normally would have been afraid of another dog or an unexpected movement near her, seemed to know that this little girl wanted nothing more than to love her.

My best friend and her husband from Florida , came for an unexpected visit this week. They loved Bailey as though she belonged to them. They were here to say goodby and to support us during this time.

Bailey's favorite vet closed her office for good this week as she is being deployed to Iraq again.

I am sure that some plan of Divine Order came into play here, but for now it surely does hurt.

[puremutt]

Oh wow, isn't that something!
It is hard isn't it, every time I come home I hope he is still there.
I was in my yard this weekend and normally, with the cooler wheather here, he would have been by my side, I cried al lot again Saturday.
We really lost our most precious, best friends we ever had.
If only I could have him back one day...........................

PS look at both our pictures, they laugh and stick their tongues out LOL

[Dianne]

Christine,

What did you name your new pup? Welcome to your family!

[Christine]

Thanks for your words, girls. I was having a bad day today, second guessing everything I tried to do for my girl. I do know that I am fortunate that she went peacefully, but it does not change that empty space in my heart.

Our new little spitfire was named Penny by my husband. I have never seen a dog with so much energy, speed and joy in my entire life. Up until she spent a week at the vet after spaying, she was perfect. (We knew she would not settle down enough to heal as she runs free on the property.)

We brought her home from her surgery the Wednesday before the Saturday that Bailey died. On Saturday night, she barked almost all night long and got any dog within a mile to join her. Glen said that she was announcing the passing of a comrade. Long story, short....she does this almost every night now starting anywhere from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am. If I go out and call her, her immediately comes from the ends of the earth totally wired. She will lie down when I point to her bed and roll over for me to rub her stomach and seem to calm down to go to sleep, but usually goes out again two or three more times. I bought a couple of dog training books and will begin formal training (God Help me!) in a few days...I am on Chapter 5.

Puremutt...looking at our babies pictures, both smiling and sticking out their tongues did make me smile. I wish you had been able to make that trip to Helen a couple of years ago with your RV so all of could have met face to face. Who knew then they would both be gone?
They are playing together at the Bridge, totally strong and happy, so I guess we will have to try again when you take your RV out.

[puremutt]

There is no second guessing in your case, she went peacefully when she knew it was her time.
I was hoping that would happen with mine , but we had to make a decision........
That picture you posted with your living room and the pillows at the time, inspired me to do that the last week he had, it was a great idea!
I had no idea you have another dog, sounds like a handful indeed, she obviously needs a lot of excercise, maybe you should give a little rescue remedy before bedtime, so you can get your deserved sleep.

[Caroline]

When someone you love becomes a memory. The memory becomes a treasure.


Just thinking about you and yours. I am glad you have a new dog Christine no dog is like the one before and we are lucky to have that one great dog three times in a lifetime and there will always be three that will just hold your heart forever.

[tessa]

christine.
oh christine.
oh no.
i am in tears for you and bailey.
i've been absorbed in my life at the moment...and haven't been here. this is my reason for coming so late to this thread. this devestating thread.

i cannot express my shock and sadness. when i first came here...you reached out to me. i will never forget it.
bailey is a name that xena knows. she will not forget either. bailey is the reason that xena gets cream cheese balls. xena understands this.
bailey has touched my life...all the way down here on the bottom of the world. and you have touched it too, christine. and today i feel the distance so profoundly...because i cannot race to your house to comfort you.

i am late...but i think it is never too late...to wrap a virtual blanket around you, and embrace you tightly, and hold you and bailey close in to my heart.
nothing will fill this hole...but that doesn't mean we can't try to soothe it.
christine...my heart goes out to you. i'm so profoundly sorry.
i struggle for more words to say.

[Christine]

Dear Tessa,

Thank you, Tessa...actually, your message came at just the right time. I have spent a lot of time crying today as I picked up Bailey's ashes this morning. It's the final finality that my girl is no longer on this earth and forever tucked away in my heart which feels like it will take forever to mend.

You reminded me that her little life has helped others. Thanks to my sweet girl, I now have friends all over the country and in Austrailia and Germany who know how wonderful and brave she was.

Returning your hugs and sending a kiss to Xena, the warrior princess.

[puremutt]

Christine, when I got the ashes back ( now I am crying also) I put it on his bed which is still in the living room, his little pillow and one of his toys , which was still there are nex to it.
Somehow I cannot bury it in the yard yet, it feels we are still together.
If one day we are going to bury it, we need to put it in something where it can always be moved.
What are you going to do?
Maybe you can give me an idea.

[Christine]

I am not really sure yet. I figure, as with everything else, I will know when the time comes.
Her indoor bed is still under the couch where I kept it when she was outside. I have not been able to pull it out yet. For now, she is in the living room with us. I have two friends who each bought special urns with a place for a picture and they keep them in a special place in their homes. Everyone handles this differently. We are both too emotional to make any decisions for now and there is no right or wrong. Sending you a (((hug))).

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

I have some of Andy's ashes in a golden locket that I can wear every day. I put some at my mom and dad's graves. I put some ashes with his beloved 54th Mass. Vol. Inf. I gave some to his best friend, they are precious to me. I have the rest in my LR.

I highly recommend a locket. which you superglue closed. Nothing more comforting that wearing your loved one every day.

[Christine]

Thanks, Karen...I especially love the locket idea. xoxo

[tessa]

when it is xena's time...i will have her made into a piece of jewelry.
i have seen somewhere...that her ashes can be compressed into a clear stone.
i will wear her. we will stay together. i will wear her to my own grave...and into it.

[puremutt]

Thank you for these great tips, I feel I need to carry him also very close to me.
What a cute picture that is Tessa!