Celebrations can be wrapped in sorrow…

As our celebration blog begins its journey…we began with perhaps the greatest shared celebration of our country, July 4, Independence Day. I was going to continue the topic by sharing the history of celebrations within my family, but life often has a different path! My plans have changed slightly and channeled to a different kind of celebration; a celebration of life and loss due to the passing of our beloved 14-year-old dog, Waldo. Pictured with me in our last blog post, he appeared often on the Take Notice website and in most of our personal holiday cards over the years. He was a great model – sitting still for hours (well, maybe minutes). Even though he is no longer here – the memories and gifts that he gave us will be etched in our hearts. This post will mark the celebration of his life and the gifts that he gave us as his human companions.

You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us. 

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Our son, Myles, carefully picked him from the litter for us because he was different and had more spunk than the others. We quickly named him Waldo, after the “Where’s Waldo” book we had been reading at the time.

There is a reason that spelling dog backwards is God. No animal gives more unconditional love than a dog. Truly man (and woman)'s best friend, dogs are always happy to see you, live in the moment, and forgive instantly. We cannot express the significance of these virtues that Waldo shared with us, and taught us by example. These wonderful gifts are what we celebrate in the absence of our four footed friend. His essence remains, in our many happy memories of Waldo:

He was a handsome, feisty, and gentle dog.

Waldo performed 5 tricks: shake, speak, dance, roll over, and occasionally balance-the-treat-on nose.

He always made us laugh when he played "toro-toro" bull with a red towel after a bath to get dry.

He gently wrestled with our kitten, Bella and even allowed her to sleep in his bed.

Waldo loved to ride in the car, hanging out the window with his ears flapping in the wind… He made people smile big.

He had a voracious appetite and could eat anything (his nickname was Hoover)—including ribbon, plastic, fruit, some veggies, bugs, and of course chocolate… an incident that resulted in a $1500 vet bill.

Waldo knew the word “walk” and saying it could cause a high-pitched rant at the front door until we either gave him a walk or begged him to be quiet with treats.

Waldo would sit in the middle of the living room surrounded by my book group and listen to our discussions about the books, like he was taking it all in—it was all about his love of women.

Waldo was not car smart – he was twice saved from his inhibitions with moving vehicles.

He died peacefully in my arms surrounded by my husband and son. We laid him to rest in Sheridan on my mom’s property (his birthplace and next to the grave of his mother). The graves are in a shady spot bordered on each side by beautiful oak and fir trees with a gorgeous view of the Cascades. We wrapped him in his favorite blanket with his mini-me schnauzer stuffed animal, and scattered forget-me-not seeds on his grave. We will place a marker on his grave that reads “Best Dog in the World” – I told him this often and he took his role very seriously!

My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet. 

~Edith Wharton

We miss you already Waldo.

In celebration of life and loss,

Deborah