In four short months our family of four has gone to three, now two.
For more than fifteen years you and Madra have been our constant. For more than fifteen years we’ve had the jingle-jangle of collars, and the sound of claws on floors. Every morning. Every night.
We know the silence that awaits us will only compound our hearts’ immeasurable ache.
It’s too soon to be writing this and saying goodbye again. But that’s the biggest cruelty (and selfishness for us) of all – that doggy lives never outlast ours.
Darling heart, you’ve had such a shitty few months – losing your best mate, your life-long companion, fellow adventurer and mischief-maker, your uncle Madra. Then we abandoned you for six weeks, and had no idea you weren’t doing so great. In fact you’d been our rock.
Thank you so much, darling heart:
For waiting for us to come home
For being so brave and strong, while we are so crushed and weak.
You’re so expressive and emotive – you always have been. That sometimes made people think you were a bit of a princess or a ‘Darma’ queen, when actually you’ve always put everyone else first.
Thank you for being so snorey, burpy and farty – always expressing, always talking. But you never told us you were sick.
You’re so affectionate and loving. So licky, so kissy, so snuggly. Even in these last dark days, you’ve been smiling, licking, kissing, wagging…
Darling heart, we’ll miss your beautiful smiley face; your thoughtful brown eyes. Your soft, soft ears, and that wag-wag tail…
We’ll miss you head-butting the bathroom door open whenever you’d like, and following us around in the mornings. We’ll miss you raising one paw on our legs to signal: “I’d like a pat.”
Always our little shadow; forever our darling heart.
We love you, Darma-Louisa.
Good night, darling heart.
Give Madra a big kiss from us.
Your absolutely devastated momma bear, and your special guy, Pauly.