SAYING GOOD-BYE TO MAUDIE
June 22, 2009
SAYING GOOD-BYE TO MAUDIE
When Bruce mentioned that it was time to freshen up his blog. . .I said to him. . ."Why don't you write about saying good-bye to Maudie"? He hadn't gone to many movies to speak of. . .and I felt it might be sort of. . therapeutic for us! (Actually. . I needed it more than him)! So. .he said. . ."Why don't you write it?". . .so here I am! Now, I will admit. . .I may have to stop every now and then. . you just never know when those tears are going to come. For all of those who have lost a pet (or 2). . I know. . you know. . what I mean!
Let me backtrack a little. . giving you the history of our 2 little. .as Bruce called them: "our 4-legged daughters". Bruce and I decided not to have 2-legged children! Our first dog was Pooka. We named her. . after the stage play and movie: Harvey. We found her through a breeder in Elyria. She was very smart, very loving, adorable. . .like most bichons! Pooka was 6 when we decided to find her a sister. We worried that we would upset Pooka. . .but dogs just seem to adjust. They became great friends. . Pooka actually helped us train Maudie! Maudie was not nearly as brilliant as Pooka. She took a LOT of training!
I'd like to share a few memories of them. . memories Bruce and I still laugh about. When Maudie was about 3, she had what is comparable to a "trick knee". . causing her a lot of pain at times. Suddenly we would hear her scream. . so she had to have surgery in which the vet inserted a pin in her leg. Bruce held her in his arms all night after she came home. . .the only way we could get her to stop whimpering. For a period thereafter, she had a limp. . while her leg was healing. Without realizing it, we were giving Maudie much more attention than Pooka.. Suddenly Pooka started limping! We thought. . oh no! now what?! After we started showering Pooka with love and hugs. . .her limp disappeared. We are STILL amazed at her intelligence!
A sweet memory. . .as Pooka aged, she became blind and deaf. It was now Maudie's turn to help Pooka. Maudie would stay close by her when they went out in the yard. At times, while they would be sleeping together. . .Pooka would put her paw on Maudie. . .leaving it rest there. Yep! She just needed to know she was close by.
Yes. . .I could go on and on. . but I won't bore you. . I'd love to hear YOUR memories of those adored pets.
When we decided it was time for Pooka to go to Heaven. . .we just could not take care of it! We tried. . numerous times. I was telling my friend, Kathy about it one day at work. . and I suddenly asked her if she would take Pooka in for us. She said yes. . as that is what good friends do! I know she was emotional about it. . .as she is a huge dog lover herself.
Maudie mourned Pooka with us. She didn't eat for a few days. . .but after that. .we both think she really loved having all of that extra attention!
Let me tell you a little about Maudie's personality. . . She was prettier than Pooka. . and she knew it! She could be a big baby too! If she wanted to be tickled. . she let you know! She would tap you with her paw. . until you tickled her! If you stopped. . and she didn't want you to stop. . .there would be that little paw hitting you again! Of course. . she always won. . .
Whenever there was a dog on TV. . Maudie would go absolutely nuts. She would go up to the screen. . .trying to stand on her 2 back legs. . and "talk" to the TV Doggie! When the dog was no longer on the screen. .she would look behind the television to find it! No dog there. . so she would tear out of the room. . .running to the front door. . .as she knew that dog was outside somewhere. When we had someone over to the house. . .we would turn on Animal Planet. . .to show her off to them! We were so proud!
During this past year, especially since I stopped working. . Maudie and I became even closer. I was with her all the time! We went for walks everyday. She was with me. . no matter what I was doing. She must have laid down and gotten up. . to follow me. . .50 times a day! I know. . .many of you have pets like that. They just love us so much, don't they? When we went out. . .we think she sat at that front door window watching for us until we got home. . .because she was there when we left and right there when we returned. That is one of the things I miss the most.
She adored sitting in Bruce's lap at night. . .he was a sucker for those tickles! During this past year. . she also loved be carried around like a little baby! I don't know why. . as she was not sick or anything. . .she had a great deal of energy. Wow! Do I miss that!
About a month or so ago, I noticed that she almost sounded congested at times. I took her to the vet. . just to get his opinion. . he did a blood test, and x-rays and discovered a mass in her liver. The day I took her in for the x-rays (which was June 8th). . ..I just knew something major was wrong. I cried when I walked in. The mass was pushing against her lungs. The next few days. . her breathing got progressively worse. . we knew what we had to do. So, on June 11 our dear friend, Linda Martin. . .took her in for us. I know that some people need to hold their pets during this very difficult time. I admire them! There is no way Bruce and I could do it. We both have the memories of saying good-bye in our home. Yes. . it was easier, I guess on us. . .but as my mom always used to say. . "Everyone is different!"
As all of you know who have had to have a pet put down. . it's awful! You miss them so much. . .but ultimately. . .you know you did the right thing. . and there is peace in that.
I know this is long. . .but I must tell you about our little neighbor next door, Emma. Bruce and I adore her! (She calls Bruce. . Brucie!) Don't ya' love it? It's not unusual for her to greet him when he comes home from work with the biggest hug .. .yelling. . "Brucie!" Anyway. . .I knew it would be difficult with Emma. . as she also adored Maudie. We told her that Maudie went to Heaven and that I would be sad. . and even maybe cry at first. . and that it was okay for her to be sad and miss Maudie too. In the meantime. . our street is having a garage sale soon. . .one of the items we had put in the garage was a life size statue of a bichon. (We had decided to sell it before losing Maudie) .as a matter of fact. .I had forgotten about it. . .anyway. . Emma came over to visit while I was working on the "sale". . .and she walked up to that statue. . .looked at me with those huge sad eyes. . and said. . ."is THAT Maudie"??!!! I love the fact that God has a sense of humor! Between laughing and crying. . .I hugged little Emma and told her once again. .that Maude. . truly is now in Heaven.
I would love to hear about your own stories. . .about your pets that you have lost. If you have not read about " The Rainbow Bridge". . .please let me know. . .it is such a beautiful way for us to think about our little four legged friends when they are gone. I will email it to you.
You guys. . take good care. Here's to all of our beloved pets. . on this earth. . and in Heaven.
And I love ya' too!
Jackie Drennan
