~ Cassie – Celebration of Life ~
Hi, Everyone,
What’s it like to lose your best friend? The question was something I never considered until the last Friday of 2022.
I was in my usual afternoon position, in the center of mom and dad’s bed. Dreaming away, I heard mom’s phone ring. I adjusted my ears for maximum range, in case the call had been for me, but all I heard was, “I’ll be right there.”
Mom came out of her office and quickly grabbed a few things, including a towel from the linen closet, which she rubbed over me and shot out the door. I wasn’t certain what that was all about, but stranger things have happened, I guess.
Mom was gone quite a while. When she returned, she was very sad. She came to visit me on my perch, carrying the towel she had rubbed on me earlier. That’s when I realized I had just lost my best friend.
Cassie had been my best friend since I was a puppy. Cassie loved puppies, though never having any of her own. She knew how to teach, how to correct, but most of all how to love. She was one of the kindest, sweetest dogs I ever knew.
How grateful I am that I had the opportunity to be taught by her.
Having come from the reservation, our mom didn’t have a whole lot of time to teach us to play. She was busy keeping us fed and safe from predators. Cassie taught me what play was. I’d follow her around and do what she did. If she laid down, I laid down. If she alerted on something, so did I. When I got out of line, Cassie would kindly show me that it wasn’t acceptable. I loved being with Cassie.
When I got older there were lazy days on the patio, sleepovers, and the laborious yard surveys. We loved those. Wherever her nose was, mine was, too. We would comb every inch of the yard, her house or mine, inspectin’ and detectin’, as dad says.
Cassie’s life didn’t start out easy. She had been adopted and surrendered several times in her first year or so. None of the reasons seemed to have anything to do with her. They were all human reasons.
Cassie’s fate changed forever at an adoption event in the Verde Valley, similar to our WOOFstock and DOGtoberfest.
My Aunt Sheryl was combing the event grounds for her radio notes when she spotted Cassie. I’m not sure if it was love at first sight, but I know that my Aunt Sheryl has said more than once over the years, “She picked me” with one of the biggest smiles I’ve seen.
That being totally true, Cassie had no idea that day that she had come to one of the best homes EVER. My Aunt Sheryl helped Cassie adjust to her new forever home. She helped her to learn new things. She made her part of the pack.
It didn’t take long before they were joined at the heart. Cassie lived her life being showered with love and affection. All the things a dog needs, and more. Cassie loved her mom. The adoration was unmistakable.
I will miss my friend until I see her again. My dad has promised me that I will, and I believe everything he tells me, cuz he knows stuff.
With Many Fond Memories,
~ Hazel Bazel Forever Friend ~
