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To love of animals & best friends
I just love good stories, don't you? An associate, someone I would consider a friend, had a very pretty butterfly pin on yesterday. It was pewter with a gold body with lines swirling around the wings. It was about an inch wide and maybe a little taller; it lay just below her left shoulder as if looking to the sky.
I commented on the butterfly and she quickly said something about her dog and told me that she would tell the story that went along with the butterfly when time allowed. That was this morning and later that afternoon Suzy stopped by again, sat down and proceeded to share the story about the butterfly.
Suzy is an obvious dog lover. She has had Dickens for eleven years, walking and sharing her life with a happy and rambunctious friend every day. It sounded like they have had a very set routine and knew each other's every move. Anytime anything was wrong with Suzy or "Dickie Dog", as she called him, the other knew it. How often we wish that kind of commitment could occur in relationships with each other.
Suzy expressed concern that she would find Dickens lifeless some day because he was aging. Dickens had a clean bill of health though, but a few weeks ago developed a cough. Suzy knew something was wrong and took him to the veterinarian who gave advice and some medication. Dickens continued having problems so Suzy took him to another veterinarian who didn't seem to help much. Then another veterinarian who Suzy trusted a great deal shocked her with terrible news. Dickens had a detrimental health problem and the vet advised to put Dickens to sleep immediately.
I can imagine the impact on Suzy; it had to be awful. The vet knew Suzy wasn't ready to give up Dickens and they needed a little more time together. He advised to continue giving what medication was left and see how things go. Dickens perked up some and went for walks with Suzy. He couldn't walk down steps very well so Suzy kept him harnessed in order to help lift up and down steps. When outside, around Suzy's flowers, still bloomed from the summer, Dickens browsed around as usual and stayed nearby. A vibrant butterfly stayed with them as well, fluttering and swerving around Dickens the whole time.
It is fall and some cold weather has come through. The beginnings of chilling, winter winds have given tastes of what is to come. Indian summer arrived briefly a couple of weeks ago and lasted into the weekend before last. It was a beautiful day for a walk so Suzy and Dickens took their usual routes. The butterfly was back and flying with a vengeance, swerving up and down and around.
Suzy got out her camera to take several photographs of Dickens. The butterfly would dart around Dickens, ahead of them and back as he and Suzy made their way for the day. Dickens seemed to feel especially good. The brief spout of good weather combined with a friendly little angel friend made it more special than ever.
Dickens took a turn for the worse soon after, and Suzy knew she had to let Dickens go. As extreme and hard as it had to be, Suzy was very noble and brave and, she said, somehow the strength came. So Dickens went on, no more pain and no more suffering would he have to bare. I commend Suzy for the strength it took to make it through the whole ordeal with a best friend.
That evening Suzy was moping around inside the house and unexpectedly the little angel butterfly showed up. Bouncing and swooping around, it brought back the memories of Dickens and the time they spent together. Suzy had forgotten the butterfly and needed it as a sweet reminder of their last day together.
As nature took its course the butterfly was found later on spread "in perfect form" attached to the living-room sheers. Suzy saved the butterfly and delicately placed into the photo album with photos of Dickens.
Now Suzy has found a store along the route she walked Dickens where they sell butterfly jewelry ~ just the perfect reminder of a best friend of eleven years.
Comments:
"This is not a poem but an inspirational true story written by a friend as a gift in tribute to my dog, Dickens, who was a husky mix with light-blue eyes. I hope if you've stopped by, you take time to read and gather the meaning of this story. I also hope the beauty of the story reaches out to help others who are about to lose or who have lost one of the greatest friends that God has given to mankind.
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