Final update: She walked across the Rainbow Bridge today.

Prisoner_Number_Six

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Wed Mar-19-08 06:26 PM
Original message

Final update: She walked across the Rainbow Bridge today.

Re: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7579829

I knew what the doc was likely going to say, and I wasn't wrong- she had probably been hit by a car, and that incident destroyed virtually all the bone in her hips. There was no chance of life without endless pain and problems, so it was best to send her on her way.

It was the shortest love affair I've ever had- she appeared in my life at midnight last night, and she disappeared from it again a mere sixteen hours later. In those few hours we developed and nurtured a love that will stay in my heart forever. I opened my door and my heart to her on a dark and stormy night, and she flew right into my arms and stayed there until we parted on a warm, sunny spring afternoon. She weighed in at a mere six and a quarter pounds, but I know that's an illusion- in those few short hours she showed me a heart so big that it filled my soul to overflowing.

She was precocious. She was playful. She was completely innocent. She had eyes that could melt the polar ice cap. We sat in the veterinary clinic waiting room for over two hours, and in that time every person in the overflowing room also fell in love with her. She sat calmly on my lap and let both children and adults come up and pet her as her tail wagged so fast it seemed to disappear. Even the other pets seemed to know she was special- they all wanted to come up and meet her. They didn't do that for any other fur friend in the room.

An interesting aside: When I first took her out to the car to drive to the clinic I discovered I had a flat tire. I took her back inside so she could rest peacefully while I changed it. It's almost as if God wanted to grant her an extra few moments of peace before calling her home. Then those final two hours were filled with a special joy as she entered the hearts of over a dozen complete strangers.

Imagine what she could have done if things had been different. All the joy she would have spread. All the smiles she would have provoked. All the laughter she would have engendered. All the friends she would have made.

But it wasn't meant to be. She was badly broken, and if I hadn't helped gently escort her through her last day she would have ended up the same, only perhaps not as peacefully. I believe she was sent to me for that reason alone- to give a lonely, hungry, frightened, tired little two month old puppy a single good day to remember life by as she walked across the Rainbow Bridge on four good, strong legs.

By the way- I had to give her a name so they could complete their records. I didn't have to think long or hard about it- the name I chose, and that is now enshrined on a single index card in an old file cabinet, is Beauty.

And she was beautiful. And I miss her badly already.