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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Goodbye, Dear Friend

I know I said I would post on a regular basis, and I have a lot I want to post about, but a sad event has taken the wind out of my sails. Two weeks ago we lost our good buddy, Bo, a beautiful little mongrel who loved nothing better than to play outside with the kids on cool evenings, then curl up with them for story time before bed. He was quiet and gentle, and we all miss him dearly.

We miss the soggy teddy bears left in the hallway, the dog biscuit crumbs on the couch, and the happy waggy tail that met us whenever we came home.

The kids are taking his loss especially hard. Why did he have to go? And they wondered, like little ones do, what will happen to Bo now that he is gone.

I explained the best I could that Bo was sick, and that his body was tired and it was time for him to leave. It's okay to be sad, but we should remember Bo and talk about all the fun we had with him. This lead to a discussion about all the things that Bo loved, and what he would do in dog heaven.

A friend introduced me to a wonderful book - Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant. In the past week, the kids have read it again and again.

"When dogs go to Heaven, they don't need wings, because God knows that dogs love running best."

Thus starts this colourful book about all the things dogs can do in Dog Heaven. There are biscuits as far as the eye can see, geese to tease, and soft clouds to curl up on. Every dog has a home, and they can stay as long as they want. They will greet old friends when they arrive.

I hope so, I really do.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a lovely book. What a wonderful way to remember and help your kids (and you) say good-bye to a dear beloved friend. And I know Bo is curled up by you listening while you are reading Hogs:)

Erika said...

So sorry. Been through this myself this year.

Anonymous said...

Meant Hugs :) not Hogs :). So sorry for your loss as well Ericka.we went through this as well al short time ago.

St. John's Mom said...

So sorry for your loss! We lost our pup a few yrs ago when the boys were 5 & under... and in addition to your own loss, I know you are also mourning their loss of their pet and playmate. {{HUGS}}

momstertales said...

Thank you for the kind words, everyone.

St. John's mom, that is one of the hardest things. My youngest says Bo was her best friend. She went out to play a couple of days ago, but came back inside because it was "too lonely" out there. I had to sneak to the bathroom and cry when she said that.

Helping the kids to understand is hard, especially when we don't really understand ourselves, but it really helps to talk about all the funny things he did.

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Poor little Bo. What a sweet face. The book sounds lovely, though. I hope it helps!

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

And sorry, Francine, but I had a fabulous chuckle over your HOGS! LOL