Maude
May 15, 1995 to January 8, 2010
I would like to tell you all about this sweet, nutty girl who romped through our days for nearly 15 years, but how do you put so much vitality and verve into a written narrative? It has been clear for months now that Maude was slowing down... She kept her amazing spirit despite a growing list of aches and pains, but the last few weeks were difficult. Her little stubby tail had not wagged since before Christmas. We made the very difficult decision to ease our faithful companion's pain, and yesterday we had the veterinarian visit the house. Her lumpy plaid bed is empty now.
The brilliant sunshine glittering off the snow outside the windows makes my heart ache. What a beautiful day for a long walk. Maude would have loved to be outside on a day like this, but perhaps she is running in more beautiful fields now. I hope so.
"To sit with a dog on a hillside
on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden,
where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace."
~Milan Kundera
22 comments:
May Maude forever be in your heaarts
Well, here I sit tears sliding down my face thinking of Maude and her pure joy at being a dog and being a family member with all of you. What sadness mixed with memories of that wild and crazy gal that can only bring smiles and wonder. I'm so sorry she has finished her run in the here and now.
Aisling, my heart is with you. I know what it is like to lose a much loved pet. Blessings sent to you this cold and wintry day.
Ernestine from Tennessee
Dad, Thank you. I know she will be.
Mom, She did have the "pure joy of being a dog" didn't she? There's a lesson in that, I'm pretty sure. Thank you for sharing our sadness.
Ernestine, I appreciate your sympathy on this cold and wintry day. It is good to have the comfort of friends right now.
Oh, rest in peace Maude. And remember my dear friend that you had a special soul in your family for a long time that got all the love you could give and she loved you all with everything she had. I'm so sorry she is gone but so happy of the joy she gave and recieved. So so sad when we lose these special little souls that will live in our hearts forever. Sending love and thoughts to you and your family.
Robbin, Dogs are so generous with their love, aren't they? So uncomplicated and free with their expressions of trust and love. We were so blessed, you are right, to have had all these years with her. Thank you for the love and hugs, my friend.
I knew this was coming. (Crying here and can barely see the screen.) I know you're heartbroken. I'm so sorry and hugs from Texas. Plant a little garden in Maudie's memory when it warms up. I did that and it eased my pain considerably to have a spot where I felt I could be with my beloved Pepper.
Brenda
Brenda, Thank you for sharing my tears. I'm glad you have a special place to remember Pepper. I plan to do the same for Maudie. I know I'll keep looking over my shoulder for her when I'm in the garden, as I always have.
Oh my. I'm so sorry to read this post today. I feel like I just met Maude. Of course you must be just beside yourself having had to make such a decision.
I've had to make that same decision twice in my adult life--Kitty Woman, my sweet pink-nosed kitty and Hawthorne, my pygmy hedgehog--and I know the emotional weight it carries.
You're in my thoughts. Hoping your days brighten as each one passes.
~Jessica
Jessica, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. This is our first time having to make this decision. My seventeen year old kitty died in 2006, but she just quietly slowed down and died in my arms, without our having to make this hard decision. I think it would have been very soon for Maude anyway, but we just couldn't see her hurting anymore.
I'm glad you got to meet her through my posts. She was a gem. Thank you again for your expression of sympathy.
Oh, I'm really sad. When our dog of just seven years died, I realized that she had been with us during some HUGE milestone events and her seven years encompassed so much love. Her death gave me new insight about time and its passing. RIP Maudie.
Pom Pom, Thank you for your sweet note. You are so right... our dog was with us through many milestones also, including a move, the birth of two of our children, and other things as well. Thank you for your insight.
Oh Aisling, I am so sorry for your loss. I know what a companion a dog can be. She is in a beautiful place running free with angels. She sure was beautiful!
Mandie, Thank you. She was a pretty girl! That photo, taken when she was hanging out in the garden with me, is from a couple of years ago.
oh aisling, i am so sorry for you and your family, losing one of the family in the furry veil is so hard....i have lost so many beloved pets in my lifetime and never is it anything but horrible! please take care and weep often...it is cleansing and know she is well and happy romping, chasing butterflies, eating doggie chocolate and all good dog things...this just breaks my heart knowing we are very slowly coming up to this with our sweet little belle...can't bear to think on it so i won't...you will be in my thoughts. ♥
Linda, Thank you for your friendship and sympathy. A hundred things a day will remind us of our girl. Yesterday was diffcult; the house seems empty without Maude's presence.
Thank you offering comfort, my friend!
Dearest Aisling, I am so sorry to read this. Maude was beautiful and sweet, and the thought of one's home place without her furry companion is very hard to take in. I would like to think that Maude is romping somewhere in a sunlit field with my own beautiful Cassie, who is still much missed. She loved you very much, and wherever she is, she is watching over you.
Cate, I remember reading about your loss of your dear Cssie on your blog. I know how much you still miss her. I hope Maude and Cassie are romping in that sunlit field somewhere, while you and I tromp through our snow-covered earthly fields. Thank you for stopping by to offer comfort. I truly appreciate it.
Oh, dear one, I'm so very sorry. There aren't any words, but know that those of us who love our dogs understand just what you are all going through. It is the only fault with dogs that they don't have longer lives.
Nan, Thank you, dear friend, for your words of comfort. You are right about dog's not having long enough lives. My sons cannot get over the "unfairness" of that, and I'm not sure I can either.
Aisling, I am so sorry. My heart aches for you. Precious Maude will be so beautiful wearing her wings and her spirit will forever walk with you. Thank you for sharing her with us.
Hugs and blessings,
Yaya
Ya ya, Thank you for offering comfort. How nice to think of Maude with her spirit-wings. I'm glad to have introduced her to my blogging friends, through pictures and stories of our walks together.
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