Waabzy, Maylissa, Piscesmoon5, Rykersmom & Tami

[BruzersDaddy]

Wow, my wife, BruzersMom of course, and I are amazed at how profound the experiences many of us have in common. Not just with our kids but our families as well.

We want to let you all know we feel for your loss and have gained comfort and understanding through this powerful forum of sharing.

Waabzy/Nvwati: Your trouble with pictures (strangest thing) and your thought that Nvwati wants you to keep his/her "pictures in your mind". Beautifully said. Thank you again for sharing your loss and relationship you had with your mother and the differences in the grief experienced.

Maylissa/Nissa/Sabin: Your posts are a wealth of information and insight! How we can relate so much to the thought that there are "never enough pictures". We have been going crazy trying to find as many pictures as we can, both digital and film. Maybe Nvwati is telling us all that the best pictures remain in our minds!

Piscesmoon5/Pepper: Know that your loss and your feelings are valid. If others think you should be "over it" already they just don't understand and have likely never experienced the unconditional, very special love of an animal. They ARE our kids! As far as "feeling guilty" goes, please don't do that to yourself. We are finding that ALL of us has guilt/regret(s) for something that we did or didn't do. Somewhere we've read that when we do this we are stealing from ourselves and the memories we have.

RykersMom/Ryker: Your post is so familiar to us and what we experienced with Bruzer. From the "public vs. private tears". To feeling guilty about doing the "right thing". Bruzer had many of the same symptoms that Ryker did. It sounds like your describing him when you say "something snapped in his mind, a few hours a day he was good, the others he was nervous and afraid, part of you died with him". Please know that we did take Bruzer to the Veterinary Neurological Center (VNC) and had every possible test done, sparing no expense and the findings were as they said "unremarkable" and that it was likely just old age. We brought him home and he passed 2 days later.

Tami/Sheeba: We are also married, in our forties and have no human kids. Your loss is no less profound and deserving of the grieving process than that of a human loss. We know that loving fur-children is knowing that we will likely out live them. That is fundamentally different than with human kids.

Thank you all again for being here and sharing your lives with us.

Bruzers- Mom and Dad!

[waabzy]

BruzersMom/Dad

Thank you for your lovely response.

And thank you so much for sharing the picture of your baby! I can see why you hurt so much right now.

I can't help but wonder if our precious furbabies chose us for a reason, and this is why we seemed to have gathered at this forum ( of hundreds available online). Its as though they are at Rainbow Bridge laughing at us all....... probably saying something like "Those fool humans! When will they get it? Of course we were sent to them because they needed us!"

[BruzersDaddy]

Waabzy-Amber, thank you for the kind reply. I was just reading some of the earlier posts and I like the meanings and origins of you dogs names! Bruzer was somewhat bow-legged in the front so if you were looking at him straight on he looked like he was striking a bodybuilders pose, flexing his muscles. It just seemed to fit him along with his attitude and size.

Have you ever heard of a publication called "Native Peoples Magazine"? My neighbor who passed away from cancer nearly 2 years ago was the founder and former publisher and editor. Here is the link if you find it of interest, Native Peoples Magazine

Congrats on your new family member, Yukon Jack!

I added a couple more pics to the post above and here is another showing my tough little guy with one of his many spiked collars!

BruzersDaddy-Kevin