I've been a bit overwhelmed with travel and work and. . .excuses. Getting back into writing deliberately. Since my last post, I've been in Japan a bunch, did a family trip to the Netherlands (boating the canals of our ancestors in Friesland), Spain (surfing the Basque Coast) and France (more attempted surfing--unfortunately, the waves were 20 feet and not something we could ride with the equipment available). Also, our 10-year-old lab, Genevieve had to be put down while we were overseas. Something that is difficult and compounded by the fact that we were not there with her to say good-bye.
Genevieve, or "G" as we called her most of the time, was a sweetheart. One of the most 'soulish creatures' as Lewis called dogs, that I've known. I've written about her already as Genevieve the Meek a couple months ago. She loved us, and we loved her--we both gave and we both received from each other. We miss her dearly. It was hard to come home and see all her things, her bed, bowls, leashes. . .empty.
My brother, Joel, spent a lot of time with G. He was her alternate master and loved her and she him. Fortunately, he was with her during her sudden illness (spleen cancer) and departure from this silent planet (Lewis again). A wonderful family friend, Cathleen Falsani, was also with her when she passed on. Cathleen published this wonderful piece on her blog. It is beautiful.
http://falsani.blogspot.com/2010/07/godstuff_16.html#comment-form
Somehow I had felt guilty mourning a dog--something in my Dutch Christian Reformed roots. After reading Cath's blog I feel fully justified in missing our family member. There is a hole where G was in our lives that won't ever be filled. We will continue to pour God's love and our belief in, as Fr. Mac at Grace Episcopal said to young campers at one point: "The dogs? They all go to heaven!"
g, the golden one
a space that was love, now dread
soulish creature, home.
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