24 April 2008

APRIL 24, 2008 +++OREO+++


THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT QUILTING/SEWING BUT MORE ABOUT A SPECIAL FRIEND WHO I LOST TODAY. HIS NAME IS OREO AND HE IS A LAB/MIX. HE WAS THE BESTEST FRIEND I COULD EVER HAVE WISHED FOR, HE WAS MY DOG.

I BOUGHT OREO WHEN HE WAS 2 YEARS OLD FROM A PUPPY STORE AT THE MALL. I HAD NEVER OWNED A PET BEFORE, SO WAS VERY NEW TO THE WHOLE PUPPY PROCESS. AT THE TIME, 10 YEARS AGO, MY THREE KIDS WERE OFF ON SPRING BREAK AND WE DECIDED (THIS IS TRUE) TO BUY ONE OF THOSE EXOTIC FISHES BECAUSE MY YOUNGEST EMILY WAS ENTRALLED BY THE MOVIE, "THE LITTLE MERMAID" AND WANTED A FISH THAT LOOKED LIKE "FLOUNDER" FROM THE MOVIE. SO IN WE WENT, MYSELF AND KIDS, BUT YOU HAD TO WALK PAST THE PUPPIES TO GET TO THE FISH...WE NEVER MADE IT BY THE PUPPIES! THERE WAS ONE LITTLE BLACK PUPPY WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BROWN EYES THAT JUST SAT AND LOOKED AT THE 4 OF US WITH THE SADDEST EXPRESSION, SAYING WITH THOSE EYES, "PLEASE TAKE ME". AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID! WE BOUGHT HIM ON THE SPOT! THEN, I CALLED MY HUSBAND ON THE WAY HOME AND SAID, WELL, WE DIDN'T GET THE FISH, BUT WE GOT A PUPPY!!

OREO WAS NOT A PURE BREED, HE FLUNKED TWICE OBEDIENCE SCHOOL, BUT HE HAD A HEART THAT WAS MADE OUT OF GOLD AND KINDNESS. HE NEVER ONCE SNAPPED AT ANYONE AND WAS JUST SOOOO HAPPY TO BE AMOUNG KIDS WHO (IN THE BEGINNING) DOTTED ON HIM! THEY SOON TIRED OF THEIR NEW TOY, BUT I NEVER DID. HE WAS AMAZING TO ME. HE WAS MY PAL AND WHEN EVERYONE WENT TO SCHOOL, IT WAS JUST OREO AND ME. HE WAS MY SHADOW, MY TRUE BUDDY, MY LOVE! I LOVED OREO LIKE I DID ONE OF MY KIDS. HE BECAME PART OF MY FAMILY SO FAST.

A WEEK AGO HE STARTED GRADUALLY NOT EATING AND THEN ON LAST FRIDAY, URINATED BLOOD. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK HIM TO THE VET WHERE THEY PERFORMED BLOOD TESTS AND TOLD ME HE WAS EXTREMELY ANEMIC AND THAT HE HAD A DISEASE THAT IS SIMILAR TO LUEKEMIA IN HUMANS. THE PROGNOSIS WAS NOT GOOD, BUT THEY REFERRED ME TO AN ANIMAL MEDICAL HOSPITAL ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY, WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK HIM THERE, WHERE WE FOUND OUT THIS DISEASE HAD DAMAGED HIS HEART AND THEY GAVE HIM OXYGEN BUT TOLD US WITH THE RIGHT MEDS, HE MAY HAVE ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO. THERE WAS HOPE, HE CAME HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, BUT EACH DAY BECAME WEAKER AND WEAKER UNTIL TODAY, AT 2:57 HIS HEART STOPPED BEATING. HIS HEAD WAS IN MY LAP AND HE WAS LOOKING AT ME CRY AND THEN HE JUST STOPPED BREATHING.

THAT'S THE TYPE OF DOG OREO WAS. NEVER WANTING ANYTHING, ONLY YOUR HAPPINESS. ALWAYS WANTING TO PLEASE.

WE WERE SPARRED HAVING TO HAVE HIM PUT TO SLEEP, GOD JUST CALLED HIM AND LIKE THE GREAT DOG HE WAS, HE WENT QUIETLY.

MY HEART IS BROKEN, BUT I KNOW HE IS IN THE BEST PLACE POSSIBLE, WITH GOD AND MY DAD WHO, WHILE HE WAS ALIVE, ALSO LOVED OREO!

I WILL MISS MY PAL, BUT HE WILL ALWAYS BE ALIVE IN MY HEART. YOU SEE, OREO, YOU CAN GO, BUT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE WITH ME...I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT BUDDY.