This last week was hard for the Herridge family. On Halloween they lost a family member to cancer,,, cancer sucks. I can't believe in this day and age that we can carry a computer in our back pocket and have constant access to EVERYTHING, but we are still losing loved ones to cancer. We went to the funeral on Saturday, the 5th. I got to know an incredible woman that I never had the opportunity to meet. Although I never met her, I felt the loss her family felt.
CANCER SUCKS... that is all.
I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve, especially when it comes to furbabies. I have had to bury 3 dogs,, muffy,sephie,, and Bruce... heart wrenching.. the first two had strokes and had to be put to sleep, Bruce died of a broken heart when she lost her two boys. Yea I bawled!
Tom was given a puppy by his boys last year, for father's day, I believe,,, a cute little black lab. Toby is his name... and he is the reason I was able to give Boston and Bentley to the Jacob family. I miss them horribly, HOWEVER, whenever I needed a dog fix I would head on down to Tom's and be greeted by the most loveable, bouncy, excited puppy to ever grace the earth. When I first met him he was a little leary of allowing me to be one of his People,, but within about three months, whenever Tom and I would pull up together, Toby would jump back and forth between us, trying to make sure we each knew he loved us.... he also had no qualms with letting me know Tom was his.,.. no if's, ands or buts. He also had no qualms letting his Dad know, he would protect me,, one time Tom and I were bantering in the kitchen and things got loud,,, not angry loud, just loud, and Toby came and stood right in front of me and just looked at his Dad.., we busted up laughing so hard.
Whenever I was at his house and Tom was at work, Toby would follow me around, lay at my feet while I was cooking, or lay next to me on the couch while I was watching TV, the second he heard Tom pull in the driveway, he would jump up and onto the couch in the living room, barking and whining in greeting while glancing back at me, at times running up to me as if to say "HE'S HOME!! HE'S HOME!! OPEN THE DOOR!!" then he would spend about 5 minutes minimum jumping up on Tom, and trying desperately to pull him down to his level.
To give you an idea of how incredible this pup was,,, when I got the email about Utah Lion's Eye Bank, I went to Tom's to open the email and read it, I knew the tears would fall. I was sitting at Tom's kitchen table.. sure enough the tears fell as I read the pamphlet, I just sat there, letting them fall as I do, and the next thing I know Toby has his big paws up around my neck, and he is desperately licking the tears off my cheeks, he would hop down,, walk over to Tom, bump into him slightly, look up at Tom with his sad brown eyes, and come back to me. That pup was so sad that I was sad,, almost to the point of distress... Tom and I looked at each other in shock, Toby had never before acted like that... mind you he lived in a testosterone filled home, so the opportunity to comfort is rare!! HAHAHA
This dog was special,, he was a gentle giant.. he loved his people.
He was hit by a car on Friday, and died.
He was not "just a dog" he was part of their family,, he was part of my family... the house is eerie quiet now,, we all miss the clicking of his toe nails on the hard wood floor,, every one of us miss hearing him paw desperately at the living room window when we pull up into the driveway.. We miss him laying at our feet as we work in the kitchen,, or draping himself over our necks on the couch,, bringing me a stick as I am leaving the house, so we can play fetch...
He is so much more than just a dog. This fur-baby is forever in our hearts. And he is missed daily.
I could only think of one thing and was a little apprehensive to tell Tom, because, well in all reality, this isn't my dog,, as much as I love him, he wasn't mine... and I in no way, wanted to "take away" from their loss... however, this brought the biggest smile to Tom's face when I softly said,,
"want to know what I am hoping and finding comfort in babe?... that he is up there playing with Levi, Levi always wanted a big dog"
Tom looked at me, smiled, and said "That would be awesome!"
So Levi,, look after Toby,, Toby,, look after Levi, play fetch, kiss him right on the face,, jump on him,, Love him for me,, *and while you are at it,, irritate Todd,, as his allergies are no longer a problem!!!*, Take care of each other.... it's comforting to know
All Dogs Go To Heaven.
<3
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