Buddy

BUDDY  2002-2020

Liam lost his cousin Buddy right after the New Year. Buddy was put to his final sleep at his home on Sunday January 5, 2020. Buddy and Liam have lived in the world concurrently for 13 years. Liam entered this world in 2007. They never physically met but they did know each other through the yearly Christmas card exchange and the doggie smells carried back and forth between Liz, Erik, Paul and me. Our dogs know when you have been with another. I showed Liam photos. Liam felt Buddy and he were part of the Nikol doggie pack.

I told Liam of Buddy's passing. He listened. I showed him photos Liz and Erik posted on FB. I covered Liam with my houndstooth shawl and let him process the news. I read him Liz's post and I include it here for all of you. It follows the photos and is in bold italics.

 From Liz

"It is with such crushing sadness that I share that Buddy (age 17) passed away peacefully at home tonight surrounded by love. He had an amazing send off filled with bacon, chocolate, cheeseburgers, farfalle pasta and ice cream. He sat outside on the porch with us and watched the cars go by, bundled up in warm towels and getting constant affection.

 Funny story about Buddy before he got to me... he was adopted in Germany by a female US soldier who returned home to NJ and couldn’t keep him. I later found her (and spoke to her!) by searching the web using his rabies vaccination records. She had her own web page with pictures of her in a dominatrix getup .  What an interesting start to his life! But more fun was to come....

 I adopted Buddy in 2004 smack in the middle of my chemotherapy. He healed my spirit when no one else could. Together we lived in 6 different towns, in 7 different homes and he was a significant part of my 3 serious relationships. He carried me through both the saddest and  happiest moments of my life.

  
Although he gave Erik Chamberjian a tough time when they first met, Erik quickly became the only dad he could ever remember and he loved him until the very last minute... like he had chosen Buddy for himself (and is now of course a permanent doxie dad with funny wiener shirts). I believe that both of my old fur babies have survived this long mainly because of Erik‘s home-cooked doggie food made every single week since we’ve been married.

 Well... here goes, See you on the other side love of my life. There will never be another you...  a piece of my heart goes with you.

I hope you RAN over that rainbow bridge... leaving 2 paralyzed legs a distant memory. Protect us and visit me in my dreams as often as you can
  Til we meet again my love.

This was the absolutely the hardest moment of my life"
January 5th 2020

I have included some passages from the book by
Thich Nhat Hanh, 

No Death, No Fear

recommended for my reading
by a dear childhood friend

an excerpt

“When you lose a loved one, you suffer. But if you know how to look deeply, you have a chance to realize that his or her nature is truly the nature of no birth, no death. There is manifestation and there is the cessation of manifestation in order to have another manifestation. You have to be very keen and very alert in order to recognize the new manifestations of just one person.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear

BUDDY ON HIS LAST NIGHT SURROUNDED BY HIS TOYS

       

“This body is not me; I am not caught in this body, I am life without boundaries, I have never been born and I have never died. Over there the wide ocean and the sky with many galaxies All manifests from the basis of consciousness. Since beginning less time I have always been free. Birth and death are only a door through which we go in and out. Birth and death are only a game of hide-and-seek. So smile to me and take my hand and wave good-bye. Tomorrow we shall meet again or even before. We shall always be meeting again at the true source, Always meeting again on the myriad paths of life.”

― Thích Nhất Hạnh, No Death, No Fear

Buddy's ashes have returned and the Buddy tribute wall grows. I made a vertical triptych for illustration purposes

 Woof, Woof