GOODBYE D-MAN

GOODBYE D-MAN

Prayer for Dasher

He knew it was over. And so did I. He couldn’t lift his head or take any water. His stub of a tail, always ready to give a quick wag, was strangely still. As I stroked his heavy coat with a brush and scratched under his chin with my fingers he rolled his tired eye back and looked up with a grateful blink.

We all knew that this day would soon be at hand. His disorientation was the final clue. Yesterday he wandered out into the street and stop in confusion, not knowing where he was. Last night I found him lying in a distorted pose, seemingly unable to right himself to a more comfortable position. His breathing was very heavy as I moved him onto his bed for the night.

I saw that he had eaten his breakfast as I rose this morning to check on him. But that was a false hope. By mid morning he had settled, by afternoon he was immobile.

At 3pm I decided that I wouldn’t let him go another night in hopeless discomfort. I made arrangements with the vet and called Mary, she would meet me there @ 5:15. Lisa called and she decided to join us.

I had to carry him to the car. He rested his head on the window as he sat limp in my lap. He let me carry him into the little room and set him on the steel topped table without his familiar doctor’s visit struggle. He seem comfortable and at peace as we gathered around.

The doctors shaved his leg & inserted the needle, giving him a small dose to put him at ease. We gathered around and held hands for my final prayer:

Lord we are so grateful for all you have brought into our lives. First we thank You for giving us Your Son that He might die for our eternal life.

And we know that you bring all things to us to strengthen our character and show us way. And we know that when you bring life, you are also bringing death. But today we honor life.

Thank you for bringing us Dasher. In his own special way he has been a light to our path. From him we have learned the value of unconditional love, of strength and kindness, of loyalty & companionship, of innocent joy and boundless enthusiasm. He has been an example of how to face life with courage & grace. And in this same spirit he now faces death.

We honor his struggle to the very end. As we now must accept the end that we know has come.

So we now say goodbye to our friend Dasher, my little buddy.

In Your Son’s name we thank You for all these things. Amen

He took a dozen big deep breaths and then he was gone. We left him there, but we brought away our memories.