Maya
I break for chipmunks and anything else that crosses my path. We don’t automatically squish bugs when they enter our home, instead we try to capture them and set them free in the great outdoors. Sometimes however, spiders and ants simply make bad life decisions.
I don’t like it when I see dead critters such as deer, bear, porcupine, groundhogs, possum, etc on the side of the road. I was especially upset just recently by a suicidal chipmunk. Both my wife and I have suddenly applied the brakes several times over the last few days to avoid running over this little guy, always in the same place, it seemed to have a fascination with a particular crack in the road. His luck ran out, we noticed that somebody ran him over the other day.
In front of our house I discovered a bird nest complete with bird and eggs. I approached the nest and momma bird flew to a nearby branch and yelled at me. I walked away and avoided that area, but over the next few days I kept my eye on that nest. I checked on the eggs when momma wasn’t around, carefully avoided the nest while she was sitting on the eggs. Yesterday momma bird was suspiciously gone. I checked the nest, the eggs were gone, no trace. Something got them either another bird, possibly a snake, who knows? It’s life in the wild. But still I couldn’t help but be upset about the ordeal and in my own quiet way I mourned the loss.
Of course it is different when it is a pet, even when it is not one of my own.
Maya was a great Husky who left us way too early. Maya had a wonderful human family, human mother T and human sister M. My wife and I consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have these two people in our lives, to have them as friends. These are two of the nicest people I have ever met and it was Maya who brought us together.
Human mother T and sister M have had a really rough year, a really rough year. And through it all they have managed to hold their heads high, handled themselves and their situation with grace, strength and dignity.
My wife was talking with M on the phone a short while after Maya passed away. M explained how they have lost pets before but with Maya it was different. During all the upheaval in their lives Maya was always a constant, always there. Maya would always crawl into bed and comfort M.
For the longest time our dog Sequoia simply didn’t get along with other dogs. Sequoia would growl and lunge and just be keyed up for a fight. However Sequoia liked Maya the two became fast friends with only the occasional arguments. Since then Sequoia has gotten along with a few other dogs but none I would call ‘friends’.
So how does one say goodbye?
In Maya’s short time she left her mark, she brought us together, she drove us all a little crazy with her constant yipping. She made us laugh, she brought us comfort and she brought us friendship.
Maya though your time with us was short the paw print you left on our hearts is deep. You will never be forgotten. Rest in peace my friend. Rest in peace.
PanningForGold 