Jen, I saw this in a catalog I just received at work. The magazine just happened to fall open on this page. HUGS to you’all. Jan
Receiving this beautiful poem, felt like God allowing Happy to reach out to us, through my friend, Jan, who is a believer as well. Jan says God does not usually "talk" to her via a page of a book or the Bible just falling open in a spot - but that is often the way God has communicated with me through the years, so I feel confident (and this will seem weird to some, I know), this is a message meant for us. Many Christians, I know, do not believe that dogs or other animals are important to God and, therefore, when they die, they're dead and that's the end of it in their minds. Truly, I say, those people have never loved an animal before. Is it not true that the Bible says that God is even aware of when a sparrow falls to the ground? If what those people think is true, why would He care to know? What about the animals He saved to put on the ark and what about the psalms that speak of every creature "that has breath" who will eventually praise God (in fact, that is how Psalms ends: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.")
In the last couple of days or so leading up to Happy's last day on earth, Ian wished that Happy could talk to us and tell us what he wanted. You see, we could no longer watch Happy suffer. It had been 4 months since he first became very ill with a urinary tract infection. Although, that came right, by keeping him on medication the whole time, he was throwing up every day. Eventually he was throwing up 12 times a day and in the last week, he was also throwing up blood. Unbeknown to us, until the very end, we did not know he had throat cancer (hence he could not drink or eat properly), his kidneys were failing and his lungs were filling up with fluid. The vet immediately picked up on the fact that Happy was not breathing properly. He reckoned Happy had another 48 hours to live and maybe 4 days at the utmost, but that his death would have been particularly brutal, as he would have suffocated to death, and most likely during the night all alone while the family slept unaware. It was a terrible decision to have to make and I pray I'll never ever have to make one like that again. I think it takes a lot of love to make such a decision, because when one is present for something like that, it leaves an emotional scar - no question about it. However, it was unthinkable to let Happy suffer any more. He was on no pain medication (they typically don't give dogs anything - people, who are dying and are in pain, manage in a haze of morphine) and was in pain for at least an hour or two a day to my knowledge (let alone the other times I was unaware of).
Anyway, when Ian would wish in those last days of anguishing over the decision, that Happy could talk and make his needs known, I would reply: "Ian, Happy is voiceless." Well, Happy is no longer voiceless, wherever he is, as this poem proves. Thank you, Happy. You were the best friend on this earth to our family!
FROM MY FOREVER FRIEND
I know that it must be different, now that I am no longer here.
I realize how much I was loved
And how all of you did care.
I know it will be hard at first,
When you look around for me.
Expecting to find me in my bed or beside my favorite tree.
Someday you will begin to see,
Although it’ll take some time,
The happy times you shared with me,
The memories are yours and mine.
I’ll remember you, my family,
And how much you meant to me.
So please don’t grieve and don’t be sad,
It was just my time to leave.
Jen, I saw this in a catalog I just received at work. The magazine just happened to fall open on this page. HUGS to you’all. Jan
Receiving this beautiful poem, felt like God allowing Happy to reach out to us, through my friend, Jan, who is a believer as well. Jan says God does not usually "talk" to her via a page of a book or the Bible just falling open in a spot - but that is often the way God has communicated with me through the years, so I feel confident (and this will seem weird to some, I know), this is a message meant for us. Many Christians, I know, do not believe that dogs or other animals are important to God and, therefore, when they die, they're dead and that's the end of it in their minds. Truly, I say, those people have never loved an animal before. Is it not true that the Bible says that God is even aware of when a sparrow falls to the ground? If what those people think is true, why would He care to know? What about the animals He saved to put on the ark and what about the psalms that speak of every creature "that has breath" who will eventually praise God (in fact, that is how Psalms ends: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.")
In the last couple of days or so leading up to Happy's last day on earth, Ian wished that Happy could talk to us and tell us what he wanted. You see, we could no longer watch Happy suffer. It had been 4 months since he first became very ill with a urinary tract infection. Although, that came right, by keeping him on medication the whole time, he was throwing up every day. Eventually he was throwing up 12 times a day and in the last week, he was also throwing up blood. Unbeknown to us, until the very end, we did not know he had throat cancer (hence he could not drink or eat properly), his kidneys were failing and his lungs were filling up with fluid. The vet immediately picked up on the fact that Happy was not breathing properly. He reckoned Happy had another 48 hours to live and maybe 4 days at the utmost, but that his death would have been particularly brutal, as he would have suffocated to death, and most likely during the night all alone while the family slept unaware. It was a terrible decision to have to make and I pray I'll never ever have to make one like that again. I think it takes a lot of love to make such a decision, because when one is present for something like that, it leaves an emotional scar - no question about it. However, it was unthinkable to let Happy suffer any more. He was on no pain medication (they typically don't give dogs anything - people, who are dying and are in pain, manage in a haze of morphine) and was in pain for at least an hour or two a day to my knowledge (let alone the other times I was unaware of).
Anyway, when Ian would wish in those last days of anguishing over the decision, that Happy could talk and make his needs known, I would reply: "Ian, Happy is voiceless." Well, Happy is no longer voiceless, wherever he is, as this poem proves. Thank you, Happy. You were the best friend on this earth to our family!
FROM MY FOREVER FRIEND
I know that it must be different, now that I am no longer here.
I realize how much I was loved
And how all of you did care.
I know it will be hard at first,
When you look around for me.
Expecting to find me in my bed or beside my favorite tree.
Someday you will begin to see,
Although it’ll take some time,
The happy times you shared with me,
The memories are yours and mine.
I’ll remember you, my family,
And how much you meant to me.
So please don’t grieve and don’t be sad,
It was just my time to leave.