Wednesday Medley: The Rainbow Bridge

I'm linking up to Terri @ Your Friend From Florida today for the Wednesday Medley. This week's Medley is a bit different as Terri is in the hospital recovering from knee replacement surgery. All went well with that and we wish her a speedy recovery! *We are also a bit in awe that with something so huge going on in her life she even bothered to do a post this week.*

Today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, a day to remember those pets we have loved and lost. The fur babies, as they have come to be called, who took a piece of our hearts with them, but also left a little piece of themselves with us, subtly changing us forever.

In honor of those critters we have loved, Terri has asked that we share stories about them and she is looking forward to hearing about them. Who am I to disappoint someone asking from a hospital bed? 

Since I became an adult I've only gone on a specific hunt for a pet twice. The first time was when Tim and I were newly married (and incredibly young and stupid). It did not work out well and after a year or so, we had to give the dog up to someone else. 

The second time was to find a puppy to give our daughter at Christmas...the only thing she asked for. That went much better, except that Scooby ended up being my dog after a while when our daughter cried and refused to deal with doggie things in the night. She was soooo tired, for heaven's sake. We couldn't possibly expect her to get up and let a puppy out. We were so mean and cruel. The drama and over acting was quite impressive. It was also cutting into Mom and Dad's sleep time. So Scooby moved into the master bedroom and never left. He became my constant companion and shadow. He also became quite defensive of me and didn't particularly like anyone coming near me. Scooby was the first pet I was with until the very end. He was in my arms and I felt the last beat of his heart. I took his death very hard.

All of our other pets have found us when we weren't looking. When our son was not quite 2, he was with my mom and me one Saturday when we were out going to yard sales. We stopped at one home where we struck up a conversation with the lady who lived there. She was selling everything, including the house because now that her son was grown and in college, she was going back to school herself. As we looked at what she was selling and toured the house, her 2 Shetland Sheepdogs followed us around. One of them immediately took to our son and never left his side. When we were leaving, the woman "casually" mentioned that she needed to sell the dogs, too. Seeing how the one seemed to love our son, would we be interested in buying him? The dog cost what was a small fortune for us back then but the woman wanted him to be with our son so she allowed us to make payments. And that's how Webster Armstrong McGowen (he came with the name), grandson of a national grand champion blue merle Sheltie, came to live with us.

Elvis, our Beagle-Basset Hound mix, came to us one beautiful spring evening. Our neighbors across the street, unbeknownst to any of us in the neighborhood, had a litter of 12 pups in their house. They brought them outside for the first time on the afore mentioned day and the little girls of the neighborhood went nuts! I arrived home from work and was immediately swarmed by a group of giggling, gushing girlyness. I had to see something soooo cute, they said. I was dragged across the street and a roly-poly little puppy was plunked in my hand. I was a goner.

I firmly believe Elvis was a gift to us from God. He came to us right before our family was plunged into the most difficult years we have ever faced. Our son's virtual estrangement from us and the open hostility of his girlfriend/fiance/eventual wife and the train wreck that was our daughter's teen years and early 20's. Both of our kids caused us tremendous pain and there were days I wasn't sure either I or our marriage would survive. Through it all, Elvis was there. Both our daughter and I cried gallons of tears on his big velvety ears, held on to his big, solid body, and found comfort in his presence. There was something so calming about him. Two years ago, the whole family was together and for the first time it felt like we were whole and healed. He had met our daughter's son and loved on him. I think God let him know that the job he had been sent to do was done. Just one week later he failed so rapidly that we had to take him to the vet's to assist him to the Rainbow Bridge. Hardest thing ever, but we were there with him, just like he'd always been there for us.

Now we just have Daisy. She is the second dog I bought at a yard sale. We found each other just a few months after we lost Scooby. It was love at first sight. She is mine. Tim is not at all fond of her. She is a little diva and a terror. She has never had a bit of fear and will take on much bigger dogs without hesitation. She is the yappiest dog I've ever had and doesn't listen all that much, but she loves to cuddle with me and she loves babies. She took right to Colton and now to Leah. She shares my lap with them and barks at anyone who picks them up. She and Colton are buddies and play together well. And sometimes she just sits on my lap and gazes up at me with adoration. 

All of our pets (and there were many I didn't mention) have brought something special to us and left their mark on our lives. I miss them all and I do believe I will see them again. In Genesis 9 God tells Noah that He will hold all people and animals accountable for spilling human blood. I take that to mean animals have to face judgement just as we do....and judgement takes place before the throne in heaven. So, the critters will be there.