Rainbow Bridge

Anyone who knows me knows that I am an animal lover-- so much so that I still cannot kill a spider without feeling like some kind of murderer (it's a problem, I know!). As I was going through pics trying to organize them this weekend, I noticed how probably 99% of my pictures are animals (mainly dogs)... Luckily I married someone just as crazy about animals as I am...someone who will always stop to pick up a lost dog and even bring it home if need be! And the best part is, we met while we were still young enough to introduce each other to our family pets. I knew Taylor was "the one" was when he told me about how much he missed Sugar on one our first dates-- and pulled out a picture of her to show me! Of course there were many reasons, but that was a big one!!

Our family has always had animals surrounding us in one way or another. Growing up in California, we had goats, chickens, ducks, horses, pigs, dogs, and a cockatiel. We would even raise the baby ducks and goats in our kitchen :) After moving to Nashville, we kept some of the animals at the ranch, and of course brought some of these furry (or feathered) family members with us across the country. Growing up with so many pets is bittersweet because they age so much faster, and as a child, I just never grasped the concept of how brief their time with us is. I remember losing our first family dog, Misty, when I was about 6 years old-- and once I realized that she wasn't at "the vet" waiting for us to come get her, my heart broke for the first time in my life. I still remember telling my mom I couldn't go to school the next day, and she had to walk me into the school all the way up to my classroom door before I would go in.

Leaving for a college was a turning point in the lives of our family dogs. We grew up with 7: Cinder,Newton, Oreo, Savannah (Savvy), Holly, Anthony, and Chant. They had all been young together, which meant that they all grew old at the same time--around the time that we left for college :( Cinder left us first, my freshman year of college, and Savvy followed 4 years later. I found out about Savvy when I was at work (my first year at St Thomas Hospital), and I had to go home "sick" for the rest of the day. Then we lost Oreo and Newton within a couple of years. They were my walking partners throughout high school, and I still remember walking into my 4th grade classroom, bragging about the scratches and bite marks on my arms from my new puppies (I was so proud!). Our house is so empty now without having them there to greet us.

Anthony is still at my parent's house-- he is going on 16 years old, with pins in his knees and a tail that never stops wagging. He has 2 new friends, Muffy, who Megan rescued while she was teaching at the Napier Projects, and Chesney, a 10 year old Lab who I rescued from a shelter in Rutherford County. But losing Anthony will mark the end of an era in our family. It makes me feel like a grown up-- and I don't like it :(

Here's Anthony last fall ... And Muffy (who is still just a baby compared to the others :))

Amidst all the highlights of 2008, we had a few losses that are just too important not to mention.

We lost Holly, Tootsie, and of course, my parent's boy, Chant. Here are some pictures of them that I came across on my computer (I don't have scanned pics of the others on the computer).

This is Tootsie, the pony my sister rode when we were younger. She was the most gentle creature I have ever been around, and had the most soulful brown eyes. She saved my sister's life one day at a horse show, and our family has never forgotten that. She was an angel. This is Holly! This precious little beagle was my sister's Christmas present when we first moved to Nashville. She was so tiny at 3 lbs that she fit in the palm of our hands. We were never quite sure what she was mixed with-- the people she came from insisted she was a purebred, but she looked mike a Daschund than a beagle :)-- either way we all adored her. And we miss that beagle smile (and howl!) ....

And then there's Chant. He became my parents' only child after Megan and I moved out of the house for college, and he made it all the way to 2008 with our family...long enough to walk through my house in Florida and Megan's house in Texas. He passed away in January of 2008, and our Nashville home will never be the same without the sound of his toenails clammoring across the floor to get to the front door! He would always grab our keys to carry them in, and I still expect to see him everytime I go back home. My parents had a beautiful memorial service for him, and he is buried outside of their bedroom window. My mom sent me the poem below after his funeral. I love the idea that our four-legged loved ones will be waiting for us in Heaven--it's the only thing that makes losing them bearable. It is a popular one that most people have read, I'm sure. Sorry for the sad post-- but it was on my mind, and I just love these pictures.

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance.

His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.

The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... Author unknown...