Sunday, September 28, 2008

To My Dog Friends

All of my friends are dog people. I meet them in class, at tournaments, through clubs and other groups, and online talking about dogs and training. Some have pure bred dogs, some have rescues, some have both. Most have several dogs. Some have cats too. Some of them live in other countries. What brings us together is our love of dogs.

I know that I can call on all my dog friends for advice and information, for the latest gossip, and for pats on the back. But two of my friends helped me in a special way.

When I called my friend Denise to tell her that Iz was dying, she never hesitated, offering immediately to come be with me. I was the one that hesitated, to be honest. But Denise, who was doing a lot of travel for work at the time, rearranged her schedule (and her husband and her own dogs) and got back on a plane to be with me that weekend. I simply would not have made it through on my own. She was there to hold my hand when I needed it the most.

My friend Gosia couldn't come that terrible weekend. But when I told her that I wasn't sure I could take Mimi to her first agility trial two weeks later because I'd never been to an agility trial without my Iz, she didn't hesitate either. Gosia and I started agility at almost the same time and we trained and trialed together for years. She flew out that weekend and never left my side. While we watched the trial, she chattered about our dog friends back in Utah and the crazy handling going on in the ring. She was Mimi's number one cheerleader. Gosia didn't let me sit and feel sorry for myself. She boosted me up when I was feeling pretty down.

So here's to all of my dog friends. And here's a special thanks to Gosia and Denise: I'm making it through because you were there to help me. I can only hope that I can be as good a friend to you as you have been to me.

2 comments:

G said...

You have been too good of a friend and your leaving has been hard.
I miss you not being here terribly.
But at least in today's day and age, you are only an email away, a phone call away, or a two hour (yck, for me) flight away - OR a blog post away.


Gosia

Rover Mom said...

Good friends are hard to come by, and a friend in need is a friend indeed. Too cliche?

I think as true dog people, we all understand what is needed when, we just put ourselves in each others shoes and reprioritize accordingly. It meant a lot to me too to be there for you and Iz.

D