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| This photo of Siegfried will continue to be my phone’s wallpaper for some time |
By Moristotle
Siegfried left us this afternoon, after a few weeks of pain, growing weakness, skin surgeries, X-rays, blood tests, urinalysis, pain relievers, antibiotics, loss of appetite – through all of which he remained our sweet, uncomplaining, loving and lovable, constant companion. And we are at a loss.
We are grateful to a number of vets for helping treat the maladies that Siegfried suffered over most of his ten years of life with us, and not just the kidney cancer that did him in. His dermatologist at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine even called to console us as we drove home from the local vet in Chapel Hill.
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| Last photo, today, March 8, before his last car ride to the vet |
To see several dozen past posts tagged “Siegfried,” most recent first, click here.
| Copyright © 2019 by Moristotle |
The pain will subside and the joy of remembering the happy times will replace that pain. But the feeling of the loss of someone so dear will never go away, we love our babies. So sorry for you and Carolyn.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ed. You have good reason to understand these matters. And so do many others, who are also expressing condolences to us at this sad time.
DeleteHe will leave a big gap in your house and the neighbourhood They’re part of the family and it takes time to grieve their death Thinking of you and Carolyn ��
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for your loss uncle Mo and Aunt Carolyn.
ReplyDeleteThey are part of our families, and we grieve them as such. We've loved and lost so many, and every one hurts just as badly as the last. Our hearts go out to you both.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard. I'm sorry, Morris.
ReplyDeleteSorry for all of you, they are gods
ReplyDeleteThank you all, for your supportive words today. I have not tried to suppress any thoughts or expectations that Siegfried will be joining us now for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or that that was Siegfried I just heard Carolyn talking to, or that Siegfried will be nudging me now, and I want such thoughts and expectations to keep coming. And I want to always remember now, to be for Carolyn as good as Siegfried was, and to value overtures from her as much as I valued Siegfried’s. A god he may have been, and may he resurrect my heart.
ReplyDeleteDonna Carney via email:
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry so to hear about the passing of your beloved fur baby, Siegfried. Even though you realized that it was time to let him go, it doesn’t make your sorrow any less. But rest assured that you did everything that could be done for him and gave him love and affection which made him a very happy little boy. He was truly an essential member of your family and you mourn his loss as such. Even though it’s impossible to think of him without a great feeling of loss and emptiness, there will come a time that you will be able to reflect on his unique personality and all the happiness that he gave to you without feeling the sadness and emptiness that you are experiencing today. Take care.
Dear Donna, thank you so much for those wise words. You and Jim have, alas, had your own and recent experiences of releasing and letting go of beloved dogs. After your currently last leaves you, do you expect to take another into your home? We have decided not to do that, because we would likely predecease him and would not want to inflict that on him. I am now committed to being Siegfried for Carolyn, and I hope she will be Siegfried for me. How huge an impact he had on us, and still has!
DeleteDonna replies:
DeleteI was considering a puppy, but I had the same concerns that you and Carolyn have, but Dan has promised me that he would take the dogs if anything were to happen to us. As a result I am considering a puppy when Pepper is gone. It really depends on how my health is at the time.
While I much appreciate the words of empathy, sympathy, and comfort that have been expressed to me and Siegfried’s Dean Mama, I realized today that to focus on OUR pain is sort of off the mark. The central focus would rightly seem to be the pain Siegfried suffered in his final days, his having to be “relieved of life” in order to save him from further and worse suffering, and his not being able to go on enjoying life in the few, simple, but extraordinary ways he did seem to enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteDogs of all our other pets are the best at reading human emotion. I'm sure your beloved companion was intensely aware of your love and devotion to the best for him. Siegfried was luckier than many knowing that he was reaching the end of life but not the end of love. Dogs are much smarter in this respect than humans.
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