Tuesday, August 23, 2011

grateful through my tears

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world." - Hon. Jack Layton (1950-2011)



Tuesday, August 02, 2011

dogs can fly

The day after I wrote the post about my friend Rebecca, I went to Take the Plunge, a fundraiser for local dog rescue organizations. It was a lot of fun. We had the chance to meet many different kinds of dogs and the people who love them. They came in all shapes and sizes, colours and temperaments. We also met a miniature horse and some ferrets. One woman was pushing a cat in a stroller. The cat wasn't strapped in and seemed quite relaxed amidst all the canine chaos.

The central event of the afternoon was the dock diving competition. We watched all kinds of dogs leap after toys into the pool. Some of the dogs needed to be persuaded to get out of the water. Most seemed incredibly pleased with themselves. Everyone - spectators, dogs and their human handlers seemed to be having a wonderful time.

This dog took my breath away:


I thought a lot about Rebecca as I sat in the sun; this was the fun event I had chosen to dedicate to her memory. And then the most incredible thing happened. I watched a pit bull terrier, among all the retrievers and border collies, launch himself off the dock and fly an incredible 18 feet. His owner jumped with joy and fist-pumped the air as she yelled, "Ten and half years old!"

I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes. I thought of my Jasper who didn't make it to his tenth birthday. I thought of Rebecca's pit bull Diezel who is waiting for a new forever home. And I thought of Rebecca and how life is far too short not to enjoy a day in the sun, doing the things we love.

It's not to late to do something fun in Rebecca's memory and let me know. The family is planning a celebration of her life, in accordance with her wishes (they're also asking for suggestions as to what to write on her urn). I'm tracking all the stories you send me and compiling them for the family. I'll eventually publish the list here too.