If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.
~ Will Rogers
Cinnamon, my beautiful golden retriever, crossed the Rainbow Bridge in the wee hours of Friday, April 12th. She’d been sick for a little bit. A trip to the vet bought her a few extra weeks for which we’re forever grateful to have had with her.
In the week before Memorial Day, 2015, I called a lady I’d met through social media about a golden retriever puppy. The dog walker had let her three female dogs in heat out with the male, and then left them unattended in the back yard. The male gave each female a special hug, and several weeks later, the poor woman had three litters totaling 19 puppies within the same week.
That Thursday, I called the woman back and said I didn’t think I was ready for another golden. Losing my sweet Gingerbelle two years before was a soul-crushing experience. A couple of days later, I was calling the woman back.
“Do you still have her?” I asked.
The woman laughed. “Honey, I never even called the next person on the list. I knew this dog was meant to be yours.”
How right she was. The past nine years have been a blessing, and while I say I’m not sure I’ll ever get another golden retriever, only time will tell.
Remember that no time is ever wasted that makes two people better friends.
~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.
A couple of days before this, an author friend passed away. M.T. (Mary) Decker was best known for her flash fiction pieces, most of which were sci-fi, and for being a regional ML for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). She was a friend to everyone she met and quick to offer a kind word to anyone she met.
She especially loved her family, including her dog who preceded her in death. Losing that dog broke her heart, and I hope they’ve been reunited on the other side.
Once, after closing down the coffee shop where our writing group had met for a NaNoWriMo session, Mary and I sat in my car and talked for a couple of hours—about everything under the sun—and only parted ways when life demanded it. She messaged me later thanking me for spending that time with her. That’s the kind of person Mary was.
When I moved from West Virginia to South Carolina a few years ago, Mary was the first person to send me a care package. It was (no surprise) writing supplies for NaNoWriMo including tiny composition books, fun pencils, stickers, and (because it was during the pandemic) hand sanitizer.
You know me, I think there ought to be a big old tree right there. And let's give him a friend. Everybody needs a friend.
~ Bob Ross
Last night, the wind gusts were 40+ MPH. It was fascinating to watch through the windows at the trees swaying back and forth in the forest behind the house. We heard a crash but thought nothing of it.
Until our youngest son came home and asked how long the tree had been through the roof of the workshop behind our house. Because it wasn’t raining, I waited until this morning to deal with the insurance claim. Enough had happened yesterday, and I didn’t have the bandwidth for one more thing. Even if it was something as simple as a telephone call.
Fingers crossed that next week is better.
That's all for now. I hope your day is filled with books and coffee (or whatever it is that you put in your favorite mug). Have a great weekend!
Until next time,
Becky
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Sorry for your loss 🙏🙏🙏🌹
I’m sorry for your loss of your family member, Remember the good times with your furry family member