Savannah…and a sad goodbye

We traveled to Savannah to spend the week of Thanksgiving with family, dividing our time between Joe’s parents’ and my mom’s houses. We fished and played games with cousins, went to the Jepson (art museum), played with Meme, Gran Gran and Poppy, and ate well (as we usually do when we go home).

Meme took some family photos I love…

It was a nice few days.

But, with Thanksgiving, came an unexpected loss…and lots of tears. And a lot of tears since.

Our sweet dog, Mollie, started suffering from grand mal seizures on Thanksgiving morning and they continued throughout the day. It was heartbreaking to watch her suffer. To hold her and watch as she started losing life, as the episodes went on and on, as she stopped recognizing our voices, as we realized this was the end. No real preparation as there was no long illness that we were aware of (and for that we are thankful).

Though she was 13 1/2 years old, and had a few instances recently where we questioned her health, the timing was unexpected. She endured one seizure after another over the course of the day and night. By the end, it was only her strong heart that kept her alive. It just kept beating. After trying to keep her as comfortable as possible through the night, we made the decision in the morning, on Black Friday, to take her to the vet. It was terribly sad.

But we do love that it was her heart that never quit. Seems appropriate as she was the dog that loved everyone. Everyone. She greeted us and anyone else who walked in the door. She was a sweet soul and we miss her. Her body may be gone, but she is still very much alive in our hearts.

We buried her along the fence in my mom’s backyard. Hannah and Joseph each made something special to bury with her, and Meme helped Hannah pick flowers to lay over her grave. As we held each other, Joe prayed, thanking God for all the wonderful memories and the years we had with her.

Before there was Hannah and Joseph, there was Mollie (and my Chloe). Before there was Joe and I as a couple, there was Mollie. She’s been with us through it all.

And she’s still with us in so many ways… I still go to step over her in her nightly spot when I stand up from the sofa. We still walk in the house and start to open the laundry room door to let her out. I still expect to look down from my laptop and see her right next to my chair or right near my mat where she usually was when I worked out. We still walk out to meet the school bus, thinking we’re forgetting something because she always liked to go, too. Joe still goes outside at night, as he did every night for many years, taking her out one last time before putting her in her room with, “I’ll see you in a little while.”

It’s been so hard. On everyone. There is a hole in our family, for sure. But we know there is one happy dog, chasing squirrels in heaven. The Brooks and Buck families are dog lovers and she is no doubt running around with the pup friends that have gone ahead of her, pink tongue sticking out of that black furry face we love.

I am so grateful for these last few photos of her…