My little family was preparing for our second Christmas celebration following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina which landed on August 29, 2005. What a surreal nightmare!
So, we're surfing the web 'shopping' for a puppy, since our children had begged and begged for years for a pet -- and, specifically a puppy. And, then -- as we hoped and 'shopped' -- there appeared our little Oliver.
He was born near Alexandria, LA to a litter of Maltese-Poodle mix babies, and his 'caramel-chocolate' mix of hair stole our hearts! We made the necessary arrangments for 'Santa' to deliver him on Christmas morning, and oh what a celebration that Christmas morning in the Myrick house!
Oliver quickly became the 'diva' in the house, and commanded our attention, love, care, and FOOD! We had not cared for a 'baby' for many years in our house, so Oliver brought all the daily tasks of caring for an infant back into our world, if only for a season.
After a couple years, it became very obvious to the entire family, connected family, and close friends, that Oliver was 'one of us'. He knew how to communicate with us in ways that we would have never expected. He provided many nights of spontaneous entertainment as he would 'wallow' in our blankets and throws on the sofa or bed, wrestle around the floor or bed with us, and RUN ... wow, could Oliver RUN!!
His doctors quickly informed us that Oliver was a RUNNER, so we'd need to be very careful when walking him out in the open and away from the house. And, boy were they right! Many times, we would take him out on his leash to 'walk', and before we were a few steps out the door -- there he'd GO! What fun!!
Yesterday, we said Goodbye to our sweet Oliver. His liver and pancreas had begun to fail after only 8 short years. His last few days with us were certainly not like his first 7-1/2 years with us. His passion for love, play, and food simply left him. He could only give us sad, longing looks of pain and despair. That is NOT how we would have wanted him to exist. So, alas, we are still saying "Goodbye, sweet Oliver".
As our family grieves through our loss, it is increasingly evident to me, that God wants me to slow down, think before I speak, and consider the 'weak' and 'helpless' more often. Oliver was not a 'big dog' in stature and frame by any means. He could bark a loud bark! But, he would whimper and run at the 'big dog' barking reply of the neighbor dogs in a heartbeat. And, it made us laugh just to watch it play out.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, " ... come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest".
As we bring our weariness and burdens to Jesus, we are asking Him to allow us the Grace to remember Oliver well and to learn from the funny, cozy, loving, and playful times we experienced with him. We believe God gave us Oliver. We actually prayed for a good pet that would bring joy, laughter, love, and meaning to the lives of our children and family. Oliver was ALL those things to us.
So, too all pet lovers ... we now better understand your lives. Today we grieve. Tomorrow, maybe our pain will subside, and with each day, a little more. We sure did love Oliver, and we pray that if he does get to meet us in Heaven, that he's having a blast playing around 'doggie heaven' ... until we meet again, we love you our sweet Oliver.
No comments:
Post a Comment