Goliath's Blessings, Gratitude on our 3 month anniversary Options

[goliath]

Dear Goliath...........Though it seems like yesterday, tomorrow marks 3 months since you and I parted when you passed away so suddenly and quietly in my arms. The memories we shared are so vivid in my mind and heart when I think about you and the treasure chest that is so full of memories you and I made together.

My soul has reawakened and I can now completely bask in the happiness you and I brought each other. So, if you see me cry.....they are tears of happiness and grat*itude for the love you gave me so freely.

I want you to be happy too Goliath, and I know you want me to be happy, healthy, and to feel alive again. The deep, dark, and empty hole I fell into after you passed away had completely immobilized me for some time and I realized that as long as I stayed there I was not any good to Daddy, Gidget, or myself. But, more importantly, by staying there I wasn't honoring your legacy and what you brought into this world to teach.

The other day, as I looked out the big side window, there was a bright pink reflection across the lake. It looked like a path of bright pink glittery diamonds as it stretched across the lake. I couldn't figure out what the reflection was from. As I turned toward the middle window, I saw another stretch of glittery diamonds and they were bright yellow. The beauty of these reflections peaked my curiosity, so I went to look out the big window in the grate room. Lo and behold there was yet another beautiful display of color stretching across the lake. This one was teal. As I stood there in complete and utter awe, I went upstairs to get Daddy to show him what I was seeing. When I asked Daddy what it was, he said it was you and that you wanted me to smile and be happy again. As we turned toward the window by the woods, we saw a beautiful red fox preparing a den. He was so beautiful with his full, healthy, winter coat as he dug out a den to prepare for the family he will have there come March. The fox had come full circle just as you and I will someday.

I got your message Goliath loud and clear. You were reminding me that we have a treasure chest full of beautiful memories that we filled together. You were also telling me that as long as I stayed in that deep dark place I was missing meaningful opportunities to make new and meaningful memories and that I needed to take in the beauty of this world and to count the blessings you had given me. Even in your death, you managed to find a way to touch me with your love. I only have love left in me to share with the whole world. Once I was able to let go of anger, resentment, and disappointment in others, I felt free and happy again. I couldn't live with myself if you thought that all you left me was deep grief and sorrow, because you left me so much more.

So it is because I love you sooooooooo much that I will always look into our treasure chest when I need comfort. I promise I will not fall back into that deep lonely place again and will open the lid of our chest and savor all the beautiful memories we have shared together. Even in your death you have found a way to reach me and have shown me that your love is neverending. You truly hold the key to my heart.

Thank you Goliath for your message. Ask God to keep my mind, eyes, ears and heart open so that I can fully recognize all the opportunites that are in store for me for the rest of my livng days. It is by staying open and aware of what is going on around me, as well as days gone by, that I can become a better and more loving person.

You have put back the smile on my face, the sparkle in my eyes, and freed the love in my heart for all of God's wondrous and magnificent creations.

I will love you til the day after forever my precious angel. In God's arms is where you belong, if I can't have you mine, because He is the only one that loves you even more than I do. You truly are my blessing and not my loss.

All my love and hugs to you Goliath.........Love Momma

[Bue's Mommy]

Goliath's Mom, he knows exactly how you feel, and you verbalized it beautifully.
I know I treasure the time I had with my baby, as you did. I'm finding it dam difficult to get over, I know nothing lasts forever, except roaches, and rats. I have my memories as you do GMom, and that helps alot.

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[forduffy]

That is such a beautiful tribute.

[toonie]

Goliaths'Momma, Goliath has made you see the beauty, despite your pain the spirit of Goliath lights up your path.

Thank you Goliath for your message. Ask God to keep my mind, eyes, ears and heart open so that I can fully recognize all the opportunites that are in store for me for the rest of my livng days. It is by staying open and aware of what is going on around me, as well as days gone by, that I can become a better and more loving person.

So sweet and so precious, your treasure chest will always be full. Goliath's shadow is your golden aura, let it shine on all of those around you!

[goliath]

Thank you Bue's Mommy, forduffy, LoveThem, and toonie. It is so wonderful to have this special place to come to and share with each other our sorrows as well as our joys. I have alot of deep grat*itude for having found each and everyone of you and others as well. All of you have helped me find a peace and serenity that I desperately needed.

When I first came here it felt like I was walking into a very sad and empty place. That was a month ago. And now, when I come here, I feel as though I am walking into a room with loving, wonderful, and understanding people who unselfishly have given me their support. Because all of you have helped me so much, I have been able to give it back to others as well. It is by giving of ones self that comes back around to all of us.

I wish all of you peace, serenity, and joys in remembering all of your loved furry kids.

And yes toonie........you can be sure that little dog of mine.....I'm gonna let him shine and shine and shine for the rest of my days until he and I meet again.

What a glorious day it will be

[Jon730]

My friend Pepper, the little Yorkie has been long gone now, perhaps for ten years.
I need you to know he awaits playmates and Tourguide Clients.

Imagine the yapping when he gets together with Goliath!

Here is a photo taken by my wife on an Autumn Day.
The light worked stranglely with the lens, and for obvious reasons, we call this the 'Rainbow Bridge'.




Here is his formal portrait after a bath- He ran through a swamp with the neighbor's Collie-His girlfriend:

[goliath]

Thanks for sharing your pics and story with me Jon. The rainbow that showed up in your pic is remarkable. Our loved furry ones sure do leave those precious memories don't they.

When you spoke of how Pepper wound up in a bath it reminded me of the time last summer when Goliath also got an impromptu bath.

We live on a private lake and go out on our boat with our pups daily. One Sunday afternoon we packed a lunch and some beverages for all of us and spent about 4 hours just relaxing and enjoying life. Later, when it was time to come in, we headed for the door with our towels and stuff. Usually both Goliath and Gidget follow us. When I went to open the door I saw that Goliath was not behind me.
So, I called his name when he promptly popped his little head up out of the cattails. He ran toward me and I continued to go into the house. Up the stairs we all went and when we reached the upstairs landing I saw numerous little black pawprints on the carpet. Then I looked at Goliath and saw he had black muck on him right up to his neck. LOL I had to pick him up right away and put him in the sink and bathe him. The look on his face was priceless!!! It was as though he was saying "MOM this isn't even Saturday night!"

Thanks for bringing me a smile with your reply and triggering such a sweet memory of my Goliath.

[Jon730]

Then I looked at Goliath and saw he had black muck on him right up to his neck. LOL I had to pick him up right away and put him in the sink and bathe him. The look on his face was priceless!!! It was as though he was saying "MOM this isn't even Saturday night!"

Well, it is kind of disrespectful of Pepper's memory to admit this, but while he had a great disposition, boundless energy, and was totally fearless (He used to "Protect" me from German Shepherds-Even though they were not bothering me!), he was not the sharpest knife in the drawer about a few things.

We got him late in the year, and in late Fall and Winter we would take him to a nearby park, where he loved to run and slide on the ice. We did this till Spring.

A friend had a house on a Bay, and I had put my boat in and was about to take a ride, when he looked up from the grass where he was snoozing, and said, "Hey! There's my Boss!"
And
Walked off the pier, intending to walk on the water as usual.
And.
Sunk.
He "Ran in place" and instantly learned the dogpaddle, his eyes popping out in terror. I scooped him out of the bay, and took him for his ride.
He never trusted water again.

His "wife", Matilda, the Aussie Terrier, was much smarter.


The only thing she ever did wrong was to shock us when, visitng on a farm, she exploded out of a bush, chasing a chicken.

Both of them LOVED to retrieve sticks. Once at the neaby park on a windy day, I brought a boomerang, and threw it into the wind. It just hung there, in the sky, as the two of them ran in frantic baying confused circles waiting for it to come down.

It was so funny to see the two of them running under snow, and popping up like porpoises once in a while.

[goliath]

[QUOTE=Jon730,Mar 19 2008, 04:34 PM]
Well, it is kind of disrespectful of Pepper's memory to admit this, but while he had a great disposition, boundless energy, and was totally fearless (He used to "Protect" me from German Shepherds-Even though they were not bothering me.

LOL ........Little dogs have no clue as to how small they really are. My Gidget is the protector in our family. All 6 pounds of her will stand up to another animal of any size. We often visit a nearby trail where people horseback ride and she gets those horses to tiptoe around her.

Now my Goliath is the laid back one who is always looking for Momma. He loved all other animals big or small. We used to take him to the adoption center where he loved to visit with all the kitties.

One time a pomeranian approached us while we were out for a walk. The pomeranian confronted Goliath barking and growling like mad. In a blink of an eye, Goliath crawled up my leg, under my shirt, and popped his head out of the neck of my shirt.

Thanks for bringing me smiles, Jon, with your wonderful stories. It is by sharing and truly caring about each other here that makes it just a little bit easier to cope with our losses.

[toonie]

It is by sharing and truly caring about each other here that makes it just a little bit easier to cope with our losses.

A most beautiful thread, the love and caring is so evident in there, a story book for us and ours, and just think, perhaps our angels are sharing it with us.

[goliath]

Not only are they sharing it with us , they ARE what made the stories possible. I will always be eternally grateful for all the love and caring Goliath brought into my life for me to always remember and also to pass onto others.

The love and sharing we exchange with each other so freely is what helps me to be the best kind of friend I can be. That is the true blessing Goliath left me when he passed on to the hereafter.

Yes Toonie, I believe our angels share all with us. They are all around us and with us. My expressions in words always come from my heart, where Goliath is very much alive and well.

[Jon730]

A most beautiful thread, the love and caring is so evident in there, a story book for us and ours, and just think, perhaps our angels are sharing it with us.

Some parts of our story book were not pleasant when they happened, but hilarious thinking back on them.
Pepper and Matilda were home alone one day, and we came back from shopping.
We opened the front door, and suddenly literally millions and millions of little styrofoam beads came pouring out the door and were blowing all over the yard. Upon entring we saw more of them, in a cascade, all down the stairs.
Terriers never surrender and never let go.
So. One got on each end of a beanbag chair, and had a tug-of-war at the head of the stairs.
This was nearly twenty years ago now, and we are still finding them once in a while, especially outdoors in the soil near the door.

That's another kind of immortality.

[goliath]

LOL Jon that is so funny! I can just picture those little styrofoam balls all over the place. The ones that you have continued to find over the years are the little hellos sent from Matilda and Pepper.

I know when Goliath gnawed the corner off of my wood chest I wasn't a happy camper. He did a good job too, it was perfectly rounded. A few months after he passed away I thought I had better clean my puter room where I keep that wood chest. When I was polishing the chest I noticed his little work of art. That was the first time I actually had a genuine smile cross my face. I am so glad he did that. It is one of my many remembrances of him.

Miles will also bring you many hellos in the years to come. The deep love you and she shared here on earth will stay alive in your heart forever. Such a bond cannot be broken on this earth nor in heaven and one day you and she will reunite in eternal bliss.

Hugs and love to you Jon................Beth

[Jon730]

I know when Goliath gnawed the corner off of my wood chest I wasn't a happy camper. He did a good job too, it was perfectly rounded. A few months after he passed away I thought I had better clean my puter room where I keep that wood chest. When I was polishing the chest I noticed his little work of art. That was the first time I actually had a genuine smile cross my face. I am so glad he did that. It is one of my many remembrances of him.

Well, Miles was unlimited in her love and devotion, but she was also unlimited in everything else she did. She was like a cat that had been amplified in every way.
I would never fogrget her for many nice reasons, but there are a few monuments she carved for herself that I am not thrilled about...



We finally had to have her declawed, because she was a "Tunneler", trying to get under doors, and we used to have wall-to-wall carpeting.

BTW, our cats _NEVER_ go outside. There are coyotes around here, and a Grey Fox that comes through the yard every evening.
It gets me upset to see those sad "Missing Cat" posters on the telephone poles around the neighborhood. They are NOT "Missing", d***it, they are eaten. We, and the Animal Officer and people who care put up "Coyote Warning" posters all the time, but it does no good.

The coyotes are the reason I cannot turn away a stray. We actually were able to catch one who had been outside a long time, skinny and covered with insect bites, and with detective work, return him to his "staff". He was a great big homely white male. It was nice to see the people arrive, and the little girl scream "MARSHMALLOW!!" as they were reunited.

[goliath]

Well Jon...........As I look at Mile's work of art I must admit she has a flare for the freestyle approach. LOL One day, you will look at that section of wood that she NAILED so well and find it very comforting. Those little souvenirs they leave us as reminders remain in our minds forever. Sometime, somewhere , someone will say something to me that triggers yet another fond memory of my precious Goliath.

It is the memories we make with our loved ones today that sustain us when they pass on for us to cherish and hold dear to our hearts forever. We are so lucky to have known our furry kids so well and to have shared in such a great and binding love.

Your story of Marshmallow brought me tears of joy. Your kindness brought that little girl so much happiness and relief. I am sure she will always remember that a kind and loving man brought her great big white homely male furfriend home to her again.

Hugs to you Jon..............and thank you once again for bringing so much love into my thread.

[Jon730]

Your story of Marshmallow brought me tears of joy. Your kindness brought that little girl so much happiness and relief. I am sure she will always remember that a kind and loving man brought her great big white homely male furfriend home to her again.

Hugs to you Jon..............and thank you once again for bringing so much love into my thread.

This is the first place I have found where I could talk about it. Years ago, the newsgroup was there, but as we all know, that has been ruined by sociopaths, as most of the newsgroups have. I went there first and was directed here by a thoughtful poster.

Marshmallow was at first reluctant to be caught, but after he realized I would bring him food, he would wait for me outside, and bonded as a Guy Thing. Then he would follow me to the shed and I would close him up for the nigt. I could not bring him in because of health concerns for my indoor girls. In the morning I would let him out and fill his bowl. He was very friendly and it was obvious he got lost, and had not run from abuse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a funnier note, here is how I discovered that Miles hated flash photgraphy.

"Do that again, and do you know what I did to the woodwork?
Kiss your LEGS goodbye."

[Jon730]

Now...THAT'S an expression!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

How you managed to catch Miles like that is totally amazing!

She was a very intelligent cat, and had a long memory. Point a camera at her, and she would either blink, or cover her eyes. She knew I was around but did not want to be awakened-the room was not brightly lit, so....



See why I love her so much? She was a Character, and a very complex person.

[goliath]

Capturing pics of moments shared truly does make a heart feel warm and fuzzy don't they Judy? You and I have shared many smiles as well as sorrows and stories since we first met nearly 3 months ago.

The personality traits that come out in pics always tell a story. The scrapbook I put together over the last 10 years, "For the Love of Goliath & Gidget" is my storybook that I can look at and read and remember them always. Parts of it are in my Happy Birthday Goliath thread posted on January 25th, 2008.

When Jon spoke of how Miles ducked from the camera and then showed the pictures that complimented his recall of those moments, his story became very real to me and hit me very close to home. I can clearly see why Miles is loved so much.

Unlike Miles who ducked from the camera, my Golaith loved to have his picture taken anytime and anywhere. When he would hear me turn the camera on, both he and Gidget would come running. Both of them would often get so close to the camera that I wasn't able to take the picture at all. Through the lense LOL all I could see was a nose. The only way I knew whose nose it belonged to was by the color. Goliath's nose was brown and Gidget's is black.

Yet again Jon you have made it possible for me to visit a place in time that I cherished by sharing your story of you and Miles. Our furloves are often do act the same as we do. Just as I know there are people who don't like the flash of a camera or to have their pictures taken, I also know other people who can't resist having their picture taken.

We are so lucky to have these moments and pics to hold fast to our hearts. How blessed are we to have the privilege of sharing them with others who care and share with us so much?

[goliath]

Five months ago today Goliath passed away. As I am sitting at my computer, I can see that the sun is beginning to rise. I have been awake for quite awhile this morning and been thinking of how much I love and miss Goliath, in the darkness. Perhaps when the sun has fully risen I will be able to shake this menacing mood that is trying to latch onto me.

[toonie]

Beth, I know the place you talk about, the darkness and how it makes you doubt, and how that makes one feel so lonely, that five month date has come to be.

I also know that your Goliath's flame still glows even when
the light seems out. Shake things up. Go out and seek that golden aura I told you about, go outside and take the sunlight in, think that now goliath can be with you anywhere, can take it all in with you, that he is never a slave to pain or hunger but a free spirit in heaven but around you too, he is there for you to have. So do something bright and he will reappear, he is your hope and your light.

Have a Goliath day.