Special Angles
My Special Angels
Gone But Never Forgotten
I apologize for the incompleteness of this page, but due to it's content & my emotions, I can't come in here to work on it very often or for more than a few minutes at a time. This page is dedicated to all of the true animal lovers who have suffered & struggled through the grief & pain of losing a special furred or feathered friend.
Here are some of my personal thoughts that have helped me cope over many years & many losses.
The love & joy a pet gives is always far greater than the pain their loss leaves behind.
There is only one thing worse than the pain of losing a dog - the emptiness of never opening your heart to the joys of his unconditional love in the first place.
Remember, no matter how horrible the pain, no matter how deep the black hole of grief, it is still better than the alternative.... of never having that special pet in your life at all & never experiencing the special unconditional love & happiness they gave you during their lifetime.
Here are some of my personal thoughts that have helped me cope over many years & many losses.
The love & joy a pet gives is always far greater than the pain their loss leaves behind.
There is only one thing worse than the pain of losing a dog - the emptiness of never opening your heart to the joys of his unconditional love in the first place.
Remember, no matter how horrible the pain, no matter how deep the black hole of grief, it is still better than the alternative.... of never having that special pet in your life at all & never experiencing the special unconditional love & happiness they gave you during their lifetime.
The Story of Rainbow Bridge
Author unknown
Dedicated to all my Special Angels who are waiting at the Bridge with the missing pieces of my heart. ~Sheri~
Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they each miss someone very special, someone who was left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly, he breaks from the group, flying over the green grass, faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into those trusting eyes, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together...
*Author Unknown*
Pepper ~ 12/85 - 3/98
My Dear Sweet Pepper,
I miss you more than I can ever say.
You left a hole in my life & a hole in my heart that can never be filled.
Watch over me dear Pepper, until we meet again at the Bridge.
I have so much that needs to be said about Pepper, & so many wonderful memories to share, but it is still too soon & it just hurts too much.
I miss you more than I can ever say.
You left a hole in my life & a hole in my heart that can never be filled.
Watch over me dear Pepper, until we meet again at the Bridge.
I have so much that needs to be said about Pepper, & so many wonderful memories to share, but it is still too soon & it just hurts too much.
Skipper ~ 1977 - 1992
Skipper was rescued from being euthanized by his owner in 1986 & a more loving & loyal dog was never born.
Skipper, you entered Lou's heart & turned him into a true dog lover.
In return, you asked only to be allowed to worship him.
We miss you so very much.
Skipper, you entered Lou's heart & turned him into a true dog lover.
In return, you asked only to be allowed to worship him.
We miss you so very much.
Brew ~5/63 - 8/97
My friend & Companion for 30 years
My Beloved Brew,
You weren't quite 5 years old when I got you & we had almost 30 wonderful years together, but it wasn't enough.
The barn seems so empty without you, I can hardly stand to go in there.
You are missed, now & forever.
Brew's Story
Making that final decision was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, & I wavered up until the very last second when I grabbed the vets arm & asked him if he was sure I was making the right decision. He assured me that I was making the right choice & we had done everything possible for him. I was losing my beloved friend to something so simple & stupid as a fly bite, that had turned into a raging infection that was taking over Brew's body. We had been fighting the infection with 2 different vets for over 6 weeks, using sulpha pills & penicillin shots. We were hoping that the infection would come to a head as an abcess so it could be drained. Instead, the poison worked it's way through his entire system & gave no indication that it was ever going to let up. It was time to give up the battle & let Brew go peacefully to the Bridge.
I stayed with Brew all day on his final day, giving him belly rubs, brushing him, & feeding him 4 bags of carrots. His head & mouth were very swollen, so it was hard for him to chew, but oh how he loved his carrots.
I fed him the final carrot as the vet gave him the shot, & I stayed & talked to him & petted him & scratched his ears until his final breath. I gave him a kiss on the nose & a last belly rub, & it was over. 30 wonderful years - how quickly they went. (tears again, sorry, guess I'm not dry after all. )Brew is buried out by the barn, but I haven't been able to bring myself to go out there yet. The last of his final carrot is buried with him. I wish I had buried one of his barrel racing trophies with him too, but I didn't think about it at the time. But then, Brew didn't care that much about gymkhana anyway. He was great at it, & we have boxes of trophies, but he was always really nervous just before each event. The gal I bought him from had started him on barrels, & she used to beat him all the way through the course. So I think he was always anticipating that I might hit him too. But in our 30 years together, I never once raised my hand to Brew. I figured he had been through too much already. I was able to trace a couple of his previous owners, & he had been terribly abused by them also. But for some reason, when I first saw Brew, it was love at first sight, & I think he felt the same. Even so, it took him a long time to really trust me, but he never tried to hurt me like he had some of the previous owners. Anyway, Brew ran his last competition at age 25 & we retired from the arena together. But I always took good care of him, so he was in excellent shape. Up until this illness, I think we could still have gone back in the arena & given everyone a run for their money.
Our biggest moment of glory was when we rode in the 1976 Pony Express Race from Utah to California. Brew was 13 at the time, & really in his prime. At the end of each stretch, he was still rarin' to go some more, while most of the younger horses were standing around gasping for breath. At one point, the coordinator messed up & there wasn't anyone waiting at the point where we were to hand over the mail bag. Brew wasn't even breathing hard, so I decided to go on to the next point, but there wasn't a rider there either! Luckily, a vet was there, so he checked Brew & said he was fine for another stretch, so we continued on. What a relief to see someone waiting for us at the next stop, but not because I was worried about Brew. Even at the end of the run, he was still dancing around & raring to go some more. But by that time, I was really worn out - mainly from trying to hold Brew back.
It is so hard to believe that Brew is gone. But, we really did have some great times together & I have a lot of wonderful memories. Thanks for letting me share some of them. ~Sheri
I am not a poet, but for some reason these words seemed to pop into my head when Brew & I were spending our last hours together. He always did bring out the best in me.
My Request to the Caregivers at Rainbow Bridge
Give Brew pastures tall and green, With lots of clover, oh so thick. And give him lots of carrots And blocks of salt to lick.
Make sure that someone rubs his belly, and they scratch behind each ear. And tell them about that itchy spot, right on his rear.
To Brew, My Prayer For You
May your tail fly high As you run the ridge, 'Til the day you race to greet me At the Rainbow Bridge
Your pain is gone now old friend, but mine is just beginning. You took part of my heart with you, and oh, how I miss you already. I hope the vet was right when he said that you weren't suffering. But if you were, I know you will forgive me. You know that I was only trying to do what was best for you. Goodbye my dear, sweet friend. God bless you and keep you until we meet again. Love, Sheri
My Beloved Brew,
You weren't quite 5 years old when I got you & we had almost 30 wonderful years together, but it wasn't enough.
The barn seems so empty without you, I can hardly stand to go in there.
You are missed, now & forever.
Brew's Story
Making that final decision was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, & I wavered up until the very last second when I grabbed the vets arm & asked him if he was sure I was making the right decision. He assured me that I was making the right choice & we had done everything possible for him. I was losing my beloved friend to something so simple & stupid as a fly bite, that had turned into a raging infection that was taking over Brew's body. We had been fighting the infection with 2 different vets for over 6 weeks, using sulpha pills & penicillin shots. We were hoping that the infection would come to a head as an abcess so it could be drained. Instead, the poison worked it's way through his entire system & gave no indication that it was ever going to let up. It was time to give up the battle & let Brew go peacefully to the Bridge.
I stayed with Brew all day on his final day, giving him belly rubs, brushing him, & feeding him 4 bags of carrots. His head & mouth were very swollen, so it was hard for him to chew, but oh how he loved his carrots.
I fed him the final carrot as the vet gave him the shot, & I stayed & talked to him & petted him & scratched his ears until his final breath. I gave him a kiss on the nose & a last belly rub, & it was over. 30 wonderful years - how quickly they went. (tears again, sorry, guess I'm not dry after all. )Brew is buried out by the barn, but I haven't been able to bring myself to go out there yet. The last of his final carrot is buried with him. I wish I had buried one of his barrel racing trophies with him too, but I didn't think about it at the time. But then, Brew didn't care that much about gymkhana anyway. He was great at it, & we have boxes of trophies, but he was always really nervous just before each event. The gal I bought him from had started him on barrels, & she used to beat him all the way through the course. So I think he was always anticipating that I might hit him too. But in our 30 years together, I never once raised my hand to Brew. I figured he had been through too much already. I was able to trace a couple of his previous owners, & he had been terribly abused by them also. But for some reason, when I first saw Brew, it was love at first sight, & I think he felt the same. Even so, it took him a long time to really trust me, but he never tried to hurt me like he had some of the previous owners. Anyway, Brew ran his last competition at age 25 & we retired from the arena together. But I always took good care of him, so he was in excellent shape. Up until this illness, I think we could still have gone back in the arena & given everyone a run for their money.
Our biggest moment of glory was when we rode in the 1976 Pony Express Race from Utah to California. Brew was 13 at the time, & really in his prime. At the end of each stretch, he was still rarin' to go some more, while most of the younger horses were standing around gasping for breath. At one point, the coordinator messed up & there wasn't anyone waiting at the point where we were to hand over the mail bag. Brew wasn't even breathing hard, so I decided to go on to the next point, but there wasn't a rider there either! Luckily, a vet was there, so he checked Brew & said he was fine for another stretch, so we continued on. What a relief to see someone waiting for us at the next stop, but not because I was worried about Brew. Even at the end of the run, he was still dancing around & raring to go some more. But by that time, I was really worn out - mainly from trying to hold Brew back.
It is so hard to believe that Brew is gone. But, we really did have some great times together & I have a lot of wonderful memories. Thanks for letting me share some of them. ~Sheri
I am not a poet, but for some reason these words seemed to pop into my head when Brew & I were spending our last hours together. He always did bring out the best in me.
My Request to the Caregivers at Rainbow Bridge
Give Brew pastures tall and green, With lots of clover, oh so thick. And give him lots of carrots And blocks of salt to lick.
Make sure that someone rubs his belly, and they scratch behind each ear. And tell them about that itchy spot, right on his rear.
To Brew, My Prayer For You
May your tail fly high As you run the ridge, 'Til the day you race to greet me At the Rainbow Bridge
Your pain is gone now old friend, but mine is just beginning. You took part of my heart with you, and oh, how I miss you already. I hope the vet was right when he said that you weren't suffering. But if you were, I know you will forgive me. You know that I was only trying to do what was best for you. Goodbye my dear, sweet friend. God bless you and keep you until we meet again. Love, Sheri
Keno ~ 1971 - 1985
My Dear Wonderful Keno,
You were my first Aussie & you taught me so much more than I ever taught you.
You've been gone over 13 years now, & I still miss you.
Horrible Hulk ~ 1989 - 1998
Dear Hulk,
You were my friend & you showed me that turkeys have heart, soul, & great personalities.
You are missed, by me & by the hundreds of children & adults that loved & petted you during your short time on this earth.
You were my friend & you showed me that turkeys have heart, soul, & great personalities.
You are missed, by me & by the hundreds of children & adults that loved & petted you during your short time on this earth.
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