For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you know that recently we lost our precious Hannah, our mixed breed dog of 14 years. It still is an emotional journey we are going through but I wanted to share the lessons I’ve learned from living with Hannah.
Over the last 10 months, we have been caring for her through several illnesses. After an initial scare of a seizure, we were on the pursuit of finding the root cause of Hannah’s illnesses. First, a misdiagnosis put Hannah in extreme pain and spurred us to find the right veterinarian care. When we finally had the proper diagnosis, we successfully treated Hannah’s pancreatitis homeopathically, without the use of pharmaceuticals. We thought we had rounded the bend when she was eating more readily.
Little did we know that our “recovery care” would turn into palliative care. As Hannah did not fully recover in the sense of getting back to the way that she had been prior to the pancreatitis, an MRI revealed that she had a glioma cerebi – a tumor growing like a spider web in her brain. We slipped gently into making her life the best quality it could be for as long as she would be with us.
Throughout it all Hannah was the best dog I’ve ever known. She never complained. She always complied with whatever we asked of her. She was taking a handful of supplements, we squirted homeopathic remedies in her mouth and urged her to eat even when she really didn’t want to. Through it all, I kept call her a “trouper” but what she really was an angel in the making.
She showed me how important it is to love unconditionally – not expecting love in return but rejoicing when it is. She exemplified quiet courageousness – never complaining despite having severe pain through her pancreatitis and subsequent issues. To her very last day, she was “my baby girl” as I always referred to her.
As I write this, I am dissolved in tears. Having had the opportunity to live with such a wonderful creature – my best friend and constant companion – for 14 years, is truly a blessing. Now it’s time that I apply the lessons that I’ve learned from Hannah’s life to my own.
- Love unconditionally.
- Live fully in the moment.
- Enjoy the time you have with your loved ones. It is always too short.
- Don’t take for granted that there will be a tomorrow.
On her last day, we told her how much she was loved and that we would miss her. We asked that she wait for us on the other side until it was our time and we’d all be together again. Anyone who thinks dogs don’t understand human language never met a dog like Hannah.
In the comfort of our home on Palm Sunday, she peacefully passed over to her new forever home where we know she will be waiting for us with her tail wagging and a smile on her face.
I hope you take this message to heart and express your love to those who mean the most in your life, despite any past history. Love unconditionally, live fully and enjoy your time with your loved ones. Hannah did and we are so grateful to have been her chosen family.
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