Monday, May 3, 2010

Saying Goodbye To a King


Dear J'Bo,

I remember the day we brought you home. You looked like a big, blond, four-legged powder puff. We put you down in our house, and you proceeded to investigate every corner, as if you were casing the joint to see if it met your expectations. As I recall, it took about 5 minutes for you to get yourself into a bit of a sticky wicket. We'd had an unwelcome visit from a mouse, and I'd completely forgotten about hiding a couple of glue boards behind the furniture. Of course you found them, and they found you...with a vengeance. That "too close" encounter led to your first trim.

You soon settled in and began to hold court in true pekingese fashion. You claimed my eldest son as "your boy", and would not hear of any young female coming near him. You loudly proclaimed that you were the boss to anyone who would listen.

Your short, stubby little legs served you well, especially when you wanted to play your favorite game of chase. You invariably decided to play this game when we were trying to get out the door on school mornings. I still have vivid visions of you dashing madly down the street, furry ears flapping in the breeze, tongue hanging out in a wild doggie grin, with two little boys running full steam after you screaming at the top of their lungs for you to stop!! That never did work, yet they would fall for your game again... and again... and again.

You were a bossy boy, and you loved to have the last word. If you had something to say, by golly, you were going to say it. We'd tell you to hush, and you would, but only after one last soft..."woof". You loved nothing more than telling off the neighbor dogs, even if the neighbor dogs outweighed you three to one. We always said you thought you were a rottweiler, and apparently, so did the bigger dogs in the neighborhood. They always backed down and gave you a wary look like they thought you were a little bit of a loose cannon. You could almost hear them saying, "Better not mess with him. He'll cut you."

And so it went. You were king of the hill, and wore your banner proudly. Of course, as always happens, your back and legs eventually began to fail you, but your attitude never faltered. Even after you were forced to slow down, and ultimately came to depend on the humans in your life to carry you everywhere you went, you still reminded us of your royal position in the family. Make no mistake about it. You were still in charge. Baby Jayne and Yogi, your canine siblings, deferred to you even when you reached the point where you were helpless to defend your position in the family.

We knew you were getting older, and talked often about it. We tried to prepare ourselves, because we knew the day would come. But no matter how hard we tried, we found that there was only so much we could do in order to prepare to say goodbye to you, our little king. One recent afternoon, after 14 and 1/2 years, you suddenly made it clear that you were ready. We just surrounded you, laughing through our tears at the multitude of memories, and told you it would be okay as you took your last breath cradled in the loving arms of your boy.

I still wake up at night with a startle, worried that you haven't informed me of your need to go outside. Your boy still looks for you when he walks in the door from work. The stabbing pain is beginning to gradually fade into a dull ache as the holes in our hearts slowly heal, but in their place will be a special little spot where the love and memories will forever reside.

And...in the back yard two little dogs sit, keeping watch, next to a small mound covered with smooth white stones...still deferring to their brother, the king.

Love,

Mom

12 comments:

pinkglitterfae said...

I'm so sorry that your sweet little guy is gone. What a heartbreaking post, but so beautifully said. At least you know you gave him a good home, filled with love. That's all any of God's creatures would want.
hugs
betty

Jessie said...

Thank you, Betty! I appreciate your kind comment. He brought so much joy to our lives and we wanted to give him one last gift; a peaceful passing in his home, surrounded by love. We're still hurting, but are also grateful.

whyte said...

Jessie, I'm so sorry, I know how your heart is breaking. Thank goodness you were there when he was on his way to the Rainbow Bridge, you and his boy calmed him until he was there, what better gift can you give back than to let them go when it's time. All those years he was there for you, now it was your turn to be there for him.

Sending you huge virtual hugs.

Pat said...

Beautiful tribute to a much loved friend.
Adieu, sweet boy. xx

Liz-Anna said...

What a lovely and sad post, Jessie. I wish everyone would love and respect their pets this way.

Artsnark said...

oh, Jessie.Sending big virtual hugs to you

Serendipity Collections said...

Oh, Jessie, I am so sorry. My heart is breaking for you. What a sweet little guy he was and what a beautiful tribute from a loving mom!

xoxo,
Jana

Mollye said...

Oh honey, The tears are streaming. I feel your pain. What a treasure of wonderful memories with the little guy though. My son Lance is faced with this with his two beloved labs which I have also posted about. Thanks for visitng me. I just signed on to follow your awesome bloggy. XMollye

Pam of Always Artistic said...

Jessie - I am sorry, my heart aches for you and your family. I hope the pain will lessen over time. Your king sounds like he was really loved.

Here is a poem I love...

Thought of you with love today, but that is nothing new.

I thought about you yesterday, and days before that too.

I think of you in silence, I often speak your name.

All I have are memories and a picture in a frame.

Your memory is a keepsake, with which I'll never part.

God has you in His keeping, I have you in my heart.

Jessie said...

Thank you, my dear friends, for your sweet and comforting words. We miss our boy so much, but are also able to laugh and hold the cherished memories close to our hearts. Pam, that poem is so precious! Thank you so much for sharing it.

Pam of Always Artistic said...

Jessie, your welcome. Hugs!

natalieanddogs said...

Goodbye to your little one. It's really heart breaking to lose a pet. I did a few months ago, and even though I got a new one, my old Pekingese can't be replaced.

Yours truly,
Natalie about pekingese