Thursday, February 9, 2012

Sending Sadie to Play with Trooper at the Bridge

Some of you may be familiar with the Rainbow Bridge... for those of you who are not, here is the story...

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they miss someone very special to them; who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

YOU have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

This morning, we made the decision to send our little Sadie girl off to play with her old partner in crime, Trooper, again. At the all too young age of 11, it was hard to see our little ragamuffin terrier mix losing her short but strong battle with congestive heart failure these last few weeks, and as her prognosis grew worse and her suffering became more evident, we knew it was time to let her go...but we believe that she is once again healthy and happy and able to enjoy some fun with all the other fur babies at the Rainbow bridge.

She came to me at a time when I didn't realize how much I needed a furball friend, and when we joined Al's family a few years ago, she proved to be a source of constant companionship and the love and trust that only a pet can give not only for me, but for my new husband and his furball Trooper too. Sadie, you know how much we loved you and how much you meant to us all - thank you for all the love you gave, for all of your idiosyncrasies, for all the love you allowed everyone to give you in return. We'll miss you - from not seeing you perched precariously on the back of the sofa as you "guarded the house", to your ADODB (attention deficit... ooooh... Dust Bunnies!) whenever we took you for walks, the way you loved sleeping on your back, and especially the way you'd nuzzle for attention... you will always have a special place in our hearts. Say hi to Troop for us... and enjoy your freedom and fun until we stop by the bridge ourselves.

Sadie in Sillier Days
2001-2012

We love you baby girl - and we'll miss you more than you could ever know.

xo,

11 comments:

sarah said...

I'm so sorry.

Unknown said...

Awe, I'm sorry.
I can see why you loved her. She is very, very cute, and looks like she was fun to snuggle with!

BeadedTail said...

I'm so sorry to hear about Sadie. She sounds like a very special girl. I know she'll be in your heart forever and I also know she's having fun at the Bridge with Trooper! My thoughts are with you!

Gaye Brownie said...

I have never heard of Rainbow Bridge. What a wonderful story. I will remember it to tell the children when we loose one of our beloved dogs.
I am so sorry for your loss. Loosing a loved pet is like loosing a family member.

Victoria said...

I'm so sorry for your loss. Animals leave such a huge gap in our lives... we sometimes don't even realize how much they permeate our daily routines until they're gone. I can tell that Sadie had an amazing life and was very well loved, what a lucky dog she was to have found you!

Karen said...

Sadie truly was a perfect example of why pet adoption can be such a wonderful experience. One fateful trip into a Petsmart after seeing their "adoptions today" sign changed her life - and maybe even ours more so, forever. While we'll never know her whole story, we knew that she had been abandoned - and her behavior, especially her anxiety and fear around men led everyone to believe that she had also been abused. At the time, it was just my daughter and me since I had been recently widowed, and so, this little ragamuffin became part of our lives. I'm not so sure which of us was luckier in the end...her for being rescued and finding a safe and loving family, or us for being reminded that love really works miracles to heal all types of grief and anxiety. She's been right there with me through all the twists and turns my life has taken over the last 9 years, and I will always cherish that.

Today will be a tough one - routines to break, decisions to make about when to start storing doggy gear away... looking into what we can share with other furbaby companions in the kids' families. Thank you all for your friendship and kind words to make our transition a little easier.

Rose Clearfield said...

*hugs* Losing a loved pet is so tough. I hope that she's in a good place now and know that she will be missed here. My thoughts are with you.

storybeader said...

What a cutie! I hope Trooper is waiting on the bridge for Sadie. You can be happy about that! {:-D

Memories for Life said...

Karen...I am so sorry for your loss! Losing a furry member of the family is never easy...HUGS!

Your post was so heartfelt and wonderful :) Though I read it with tears in my eyes, it was so nice to read how special Sadie was and how loved she is :)

Anonymous said...

Kathy- I am so so sorry to hear this. You have a very lovely and eloquent way of putting it though.

Bludart said...

*hugs*

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