Sent from heaven

[nedd]

Bit of this

Whippet is in melt down. I am hell bent on a walk down to see the river in flood. He gets slower and slower the nearer we get. When he realizes that there is water every which way he is not happy. Here is a dog that dances around a 2 inch puddle. Was paralyzed with fear when he slipped of a plank into a bit of water. And he has had the indignity of being picked up and carried after refusing point blank to move last time this bit was underwater. He has not forgotten. Oh the delight that registers when he realises that we can walk back the way we came. Whippet is a bit of a whimp.

Bit of that

Somethings just fetch up in life when least expected. Whippet is a case in point.

When I am down in the dumps i go for a bike ride. On this day I was howling my eyes out over the loss of my son. And in particular that in-between finishing one lot of treatment and relapsing (a whole 8 months!) he had to go into hospital for a completely unrelated minor procedure. I had never bawled about this before and haven't since but that day it all seemed so unfair. Half way home I come across a lady, who I had never met before, walking 2 whippets. Me and the bike stop and enter into a chin wag. (even in my darkest hours I am always on the look out for a bit of diversion) On and off I had been umming and arring about getting another dog. We discuss the pros and cons of whippets and I wonder about whippet rescue. Waiting list as long as your arm she says. I am just getting on the bike when she looks up and says "actually I have a little whippet i am running on to show, but I can't as he doesn't make the grade". Well it transpires that whippet didn't made the grade for exactly the same reason that I was bawling about half an hour earlier. But the biggest joke of all was that when I came to write the cheque for him, I had to make it payable to a "Mr A Pain". And believe it or not I used to call Andrew my little Mr A pain. On account of his sheer will and bloody determination. He was so determined to go to the school fete he rallied long enough to be spoilt by all and sundry, eat an enormous ice cream, and kick my shins because I wouldn't take him to Toys R Us at 5 in the afternoon. Telling me he love all of us even although sometimes it didn't look like it. He crashed that night and died holding my hand the next day.

I think that whippet was sent from heaven. What whippet thinks remains to be seen.

[Bananas5]

The love of a dog is unconditional. I cherish my 2 Border Collies - honest and faithful, I lost my brother with bowel cancer last year and they know when I need that extra hug only they can give.

Thank you for sharing yours with me.

P x

PS I wated to put this on my FB page but link didn't work Any reason?

[nedd in reply to Bananas5]

Dogs do seem to be tuned into how we feel. When Andrew was first ill before any diagnoses was made. My little cairn Rosie followed him around and every time he flopped down she lay beside him. WIth hind sight it seems incredible that she cotton on to how poorly he was before any one else.

Sorry to hear about your brother. Thanks for sharing that with me. It's hard watching someone you love deal with cancer. Bit of a naff time of year for some of us. May your christstmas tree fairy add a bit of glitter to you days.

[superannie]

Life can be so hard, I lost my brother to prostrate cancer when he was only 56 and two years later my beloved Mother. They were both my greatest friends and I miss them every single day. As Paton said, the love of a dog is totally unconditional,am unable to have one right now due to being unable to make sure they get regular excercise. |Saying that, I have had many in my life, all breeds and loved them all. I have a cat now called Casper, we get along just fine, he minds his business and I mind mine! We are both not cuddly types but he sits with me most of the time, when he is not out making a nuisance iof himself in the neighbourhood!

I thank God I have never had to go through the loss of a child and you are very brave. Love your chats on here, really look forward to your news, stay well Ann

[nedd]

When those you love die it leaves you with all this love sloshing around inside with nowhere to put it. I can't imagine mum not being around, you would have hardly had time to pick yourself up from loosing you brother. If we knew what was in store for us we would never have climbed out of the womb. This time of the year can be a bugger.

Cats are reassuringly self sufficient. I have a black job with allot to say for herself and she is cuddly. Although she favours man in an armchairs lap more than mine. I find her so relaxing when she deigns to snuggle up and purr in my ear. Be nice to know what they get up to when they are out and about wouldn't it?