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Purple Weekend

I’m so excited about my purple weekend. Our community relationship manager from PanCan is in town, our dearest Addie, so we’re having a couple of fun events. Tonight we’re doing dinner with some of our top captains and affiliate leadership. Tomorrow, we’re hosting an amazing social event at a local brewery for our affiliate. We’ve had a lot of RSVPs for the event, which is exciting.

My purple weekend will be the perfect way to honor Athena’s memory and distract myself. I’m really looking forward to spending time with my purple family. After the events, I have a lot of stuff to get done around the house. Unfortunately, while Athena was ill, we got very little done. The house work has piled up. The disorganization in my room is exacerbating my neuroses. One thing I won’t have to do is sweep now that I got my new Roombas working.

Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone.

A couple of months ago, the Mayor and I were at Sprouts picking up some groceries. When we were in line at the checkout an old man lined up behind us. He was in a boot. I had to wear a boot for nearly four months, so I know how much it sucks. The gentleman was just picking up a few items. While the cashier rang up our items, he ran to the bathroom. Consequently, I asked the cashier to add his things to my bill. This way he’d come out of the bathroom and his groceries would be bagged and paid for. Obviously, we didn’t stick around to see his reaction, but I hope it made his day brighter.

I have been on the receiving end of random acts of kindness. When we were on the shuttle bus to pick up our rental in Boston, it was late and I was a hot mess. I cried most of the flight up to Boston knowing our time with Athena was short. I’m sure the Prosecco didn’t help. It was well after midnight and I’m feeling gross. At the stop before ours, the train station, a young family gets up to get off the shuttle. As they departed, their oldest daughter stopped to tell me I was pretty. It was one of the sweetest things someone had ever said to me. I certainly wasn’t feeling pretty and was feeling pretty low, her kindness put a smile on my face and warmed my heart.

I shared the story of the Bostonian, who on his lunch, re-calibrated and set up my EV rental to make it easy for me to drive. His kindness will stick with me always. On Tuesday when we carried Athena’s remains out to the truck, an older couple had pulled up to the vet’s office. When they exited their car with their sweet dog, they were crying for our loss. They both expressed their condolences and the husband gave me the nicest hug. Their compassion and kindness meant so much to me. It was a beacon of light during a very dark hour.

I guess the point in sharing these stories is that we have a choice. We can choose to be assholes and put negative energy out into the universe. Or we can choose to be a light. Random acts of kindness make a huge difference in a person’s day. A compliment may seem small to you, but to the recipient, it could mean the world. You don’t know where people are in their journey. Try to leave them better off than they are before your interaction.

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Thank You

I wanted to say thank you, to all our friends, families, and readers, for the kind words of love and sympathy we have received since Athena’s passing. Losing a beloved pet is a heartbreak that many of us have experienced. I’m touched by the outpouring of love. Grief is a crazy beast. I know Athena’s passing may have brought back memories of pets that have gone before her.

Even before her passing, I was struggling with how to effectively honor her memory. I’m going to buy a stuff version of Athena and Maya for the family and for our puppies. Athena came into our life via an animal rescue event at PetSmart. If it wasn’t for the incredible folks that volunteer at these rescues, we would not have had any of our dogs. All four of our dogs came from rescue organizations in South Florida. In her honor, we’ll be making a donation to Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue, which is where we adopted both Anakin and Arrow.

The rescues in South Florida are full. In fact, two local shelters waived their adoption fees in July to help clear the shelters. Nonetheless, there are still many animals that need a home. A shelter is a much better place to be that the streets, but like a hostel it’s meant to be temporary. If now isn’t the right time to adopt, there are other ways to support the animals like donating money, items, and time. For local kids needing volunteer hours, Justin Bartlett is a great place to volunteer.

Thank you again for all the kind messages, texts, and phone calls. Your love and support have helped carry us through this difficult time. Now I’m off to make the second part of my liquid lunch.

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Next Day

It’s the next day and the loss of Athena has started to sink in. I’m so sad. I know, however, we had to say goodbye to her, and am relieved that she’s no longer suffering. Her eyes and skin had become so jaundiced and her eyes had lost their twinkle. Athena had eyes that could convince you to give her whatever she wanted. They were full of love, life, and manipulation. I certainly couldn’t tell her no. As for yesterday, I had mixed feelings about it. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel watching her being put to sleep. In the end, it was a relief that she was free of pain instantly.

She wasn’t your average dog and certainly deserved more than the eight years she was granted. I know we’re not the first to lose our dog (or animal) and feel this way. So many of the people I love have experienced the loss of their beloved pet, which is a total gut punch. I wish our dogs could live as long as we do. I would have loved to have Athena by my side for the rest of my life. It’s almost cruel that we get to share the earth with them for such a short time.

I didn’t grow up with dogs as my dad and brother were severely allergic. In fact, I grew up terrified of dogs particularly big dogs. My neighbors at our first house had a big, black lab that I found particularly scary. I even had a policy against dogs that could eat me like Rottweilers and pit bulls. Consequently, it’s a little ironic that as an adult I’ve had four large dogs including two black lab mixes and two terrier mixes. Maya helped me overcome my lifelong fear of dogs. Maya and Athena both tuned me into a dog mom obsessed with her big dogs.

When we first adopted Athena, I had no clue she had any pit or terrier in her. I sent a picture to the family group text and my sister-in-law pointed out the pit. Naturally, I freaked out due to my policy against dogs that can eat me and ordered a DNA test. Turns out Athena was fifty percent American Staffy with the other half being lab, boxer, and beagle. Or as the Mayor said, “Our dog is a bagel!?!?” What I learned throughout my eight years with Athena is that the breed I feared most made the best family dog we’ll ever have. She was the kindest, highest emotional intelligence, most gentle, loyal, and protective dog you’d ever meet. She was never inappropriately protective (I’m looking at you Anakin.) Athena would only become protective when someone in our family was threatened.

So here I am the next day missing my sweet angels. Maya and Athena brought us more joy than they could ever know. They opened a world to me that I didn’t think I could exist in. Now I can’t see myself living without a canine companion. At home, Anakin is grieving his loss. He’s been carrying around her blanket and his duck with impunity today. Athena and Anakin had a very special relationship. She was an instrumental part of Anakin’s life. It will take him some time to heal.

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Good night Sweet Athena

Good night sweet Athena, you were the best dog a family could ask for. It was unbelievably hard to say goodbye to you today, but it would have been selfish to let you suffer. I hope you’re in heaven running laps with Maya free from the pain of cancer and safe in the knowledge that your family loves you unconditionally forever and always.

We brought her to the vet after celebrating Taco Tuesday with her. Athena enjoyed her taco even if she couldn’t finish it. We brought her blankets and her brother’s favorite ducks to the vet with us. I confiscated Anakin’s duck, so she could have it with her and have his smell with her at the end. The whole day felt surreal like a movie. I can’t believe we had to say goodbye to her so soon.

In memory of Athena, here are a couple of beautiful poems:

Four Feet by Rudyard Kipling

I have done mostly what most men do,
And pushed it out of my mind;
But I can’t forget, if I wanted to,
Four-Feet trotting behind.

Day after day, the whole day through —
Wherever my road inclined —
Four-feet said, “I am coming with you!”
And trotted along behind.

Now I must go by some other round, —
Which I shall never find —
Somewhere that does not carry the sound
Of Four-Feet trotting behind.

A Good Dog Never Dies – Anonymous

A good dog never dies, he always stays,
he walks besides you on crisp autumn days
when frost is on the fields and winter’s drawing near, his head within our hand in his old way.

Treasured Friend – Anonymous

I lost a treasured friend today
The little dog who used to lay
Her gentle head upon my knee
And shared her silent thoughts with me.

She’ll come no longer to my call
Retrieve no more her favourite ball
A voice far greater than my own
Has called her to his golden throne.

Although my eyes are filled with tears
I thank him for the happy years
He let her spend down here with me
And for her love and loyalty.

When it is time for me to go
And join her there, this much I know
I shall not fear the transient dark
For she will greet me with a bark