Tag: LOLA

How lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. -Winnie the Pooh

I just got off the phone with my Dad explaining the sad, but loving situation of having to put our dog, our beautiful LOLA LOVE to sleep and send her to heaven. My Dad has never been a dog person and personally admitted to me that he could never understand how people could become so attached to their animals. He thought it was kind of ridiculous. He got off the phone with me and we were both in tears. He had expressed his deep love and care and a genuine understanding of what people feel and go through during such a loss. He thanked me for a lesson he needed to feel and understand. It was a very sweet conversation with my parents. Thank you Mom and Dad for being so genuine in your care, compassion and heartfelt sincerity. It is in moments of this deep sorrow we need to show up for one another and just be compassion. Thank you. xoxo

Lola Lessons

LOLA had so many lessons to share. This little dog came to us malnourished, would literally hide away, poop and eat her poop because she had been so abused. We don’t know her entire story but the bits and pieces we do know—abused by a husband on a farm [he threatened to kill Lola, so the wife was trying to find her a home before Lola was seriously injured]; she lived with multiple dogs [why she LOVED food and ate everything as fast as she could in one sitting & was very territorial for awhile with food]; a child that had mental problems and would just pop bubble wrap [why Lola hated certain noises and would run away]; a woman that had her own problems emotionally & was in no place to take care of anyone. When we got Lola she had recently had a surgery [that we just assumed was a benign tumor], so the first thing we did was get her a cone so she could not lick the wound. Lola was not use to eating food, so after the first couple of weeks of eating she became really sick & literally found a place in our backyard to hide out and die. We couldn’t find her one afternoon & after hours of searching we found her hidden behind the air conditioner system under a bush. She was not well. We did all we could to make her feel loved and cared for.

Then there was our other dog, Teag. The very reason why we felt we needed another dog, so he would not be as anxious when we would leave the house. He and Lola met, were fine, but ignored each other for awhile. Lola even got territorial if he got near her. She had an attitude and so did he. He would get jealous of any and all attention Lola got. It was a tough situation for awhile. They finally started getting use to each other. Teag even started to wag his tail (which he had never done) and Lola began to learn how to play growl and play with toys because of Teag. They were learning to love, play, care and it was sweet. They still just tolerated one another but with a fond friendship woven in. I remember the first time they actually sat together on one of our ottomans and their bums were touching. All of us cheered with happiness, “look their bums are touching.” Eventually they could sit on the same pillow with no growling and we knew they were finally friends. When they would be on walks together—they were a terrible tag team!! If there was a female dog anywhere near by Lola was on it to protect her little man. Lola always had Teag’s back. They were loyal friends. Was there still jealousy and attitude on occasion—always from Teag, but Lola just turned into nothing but Love. She would occasionally throw her weight around to get her way, but there was no question she loved him.

We have had our little Lola for a little over three and a half years. AND after 3.5 years she FELT so much LOVE, but we ended up FEELING and receiving even more LOVE from our LOLA. She became a sincere gift to our family. That may not seem like a very long time, but with this sweet dog—not long enough. She just came to genuinely LOVE our family and we fell deeply in love with her. Her sweet, loving spirit is definitely missed in our home and it has been hard to see her dog dishes, her little, turquoise fleece she would wear everywhere, her toys she loved, the spots she would lay down in our house, her blankets….She would have weekend slumber parties with our daughter when she was home for the weekends from college. She had special places she pulled the leash to go on walks and every time we ventured to a certain green space we called “dog island” her and Teag would jump around and rush to the door. She was full of joy! Another funny story were the squirrels on our deck. Lola would sit at the back, glass door and not move her head but her giant eyes would slowly watch the squirrel get closer and closer. Her body did not flinch and then to see her big eyes follow the squirrels every move & then watch her head slowly begin to move with such intention…priceless. [You had to be there to see it. ] She would have the most intentional stares as you talked to her. She had these big, beautiful puppy dog eyes that seemed to hang on your every glance and conversation you would have with her. AND, don’t even mention, if you said, “treat” or “chicken” she would jump for JOY and almost dance to show and share her excitement. She was a different dog than the Lola who was broken and sad when she first arrived. Despite everything—she always had a loving, no worries soul. She always did her best & had the best attitude. She had a prissy walk, was totally a girly girl and she even had the tiny feet and the walk to prove it. She is and will only be THE ONE AND ONLY LOLA LOVIE…HELLOLA…LOWLY…GOLDEN GIRL…GIRLIE…DOG DAUGHTER. Our LOLA had a zest for life, she would hear a flock of birds flying over head and stop and watch them fly by. She would come across a newt in the yard and gently smell and watch it. She had her paths she liked to walk and lit up at any opportunity to go in the car or on a walk. She loved more than anything to be with her people.

In the end…’having a dog will bless you with many of your happiest days of your life, and one of the worst.’

My husband called her his, “dog daughter” and selflessly has been serving and caring for her health necessities for months. We found out about six months ago that she had cancer and that it had spread to her lungs and she would probably only have a few “good months.” It was a sad blow, but it was harder watching the hole that they took the biopsy tissue get bigger and bigger, not healing, and her body slowly rotting. She would literally smell and lick every spot she would lie down. She did not want to leave a mess or be a burden for anyone. Sadly, we had to pull out the cone for night time sleeps or when we were not around and she was alone because the smell and pain were just too much and she would lick the wound any chance she had. [She had a cone when we first got her and when we would finally have her, sadly—full circle]. My sweet husband bathed and wrapped her wounds morning and night to try to ease her smell and pain. It was a beautiful labor of love. Lola started getting a cough and we knew things were just going to get worse and her health would spiral quickly. We did not want this beautiful, loving, loyal, sweetest little thing to suffer.

In the last couple of weeks, she became even more close—she wanted to always be touching, cuddling, loving on someone. She did not want to be alone. The last few days we all slept on our big, feather couch just to make her comfortable and all be together.

I wrote this in my notes a few days earlier, “As her body slowly rots and the stench becomes unbearable. We wonder how she can stand to feel this way, Yet, every moment she can—-she follows, curls up next to us, wags her tail at any attention, affection or glance. She does not want to be alone in the end.” 

Our little LOLA til the very end just kept wagging her tail, smelling and licking up any possible fluids from her body, and just happy to be near anyone. Her spirit was only LOVE. She ran as fast as she could with Teag, she explored, smelled everything she could possibly smell, ate all the treats and just left a huge hole of LOVE in our hearts.. She will always be with us. LOVE YOU, LOLA.

Moments I cannot forget & need to remember

A few sweet moments I don’t want to forget: How brave my beautiful daughter was during Lola’s passing. She was in-tune to Lola’s needs. I couldn’t go through with everything & at one moment I had to leave—it was just too much for my heart. My daughter was strong and helped my sweet husband—they held her tight and were there. They both said it was the hardest experience they have ever had. My husband said, “How could our Lola dying be harder than losing both of my Dad’s?” I said, “because they are so unconditional. Humans struggle in that. Animals are there and effortlessly just love.”

‘BE THE PERSON YOUR DOG THINKS YOU ARE.’ -CJ FRICK My husband got home to our house and broke down in tears, “I miss her so much. I miss taking care of her and feeling like she needed me.” I immediately broke down, “I need you.” We just balled together. It was a huge, very emotional day for all of us. This was so tender to see the sweet relationship that had developed between my husband and Lola. When we first were looking at her and talking about buying her, my husband was not excited and definitely did not want to pay for her. He was going along with the consensus. He did NOT want another dog. Obviously, Lola was not just some dog. Lola and him created such a love affair. She would daily wander down and bump open his office door to just sit on his floor near his desk to be near him. It was so sweet to see them together. Such LOVE was shared.

‘DOGS ARE OUR LINK TO PARADISE’. -Milan Kundera On the way to the vet the sky had bright, blue patches with clouds. We passed some lovely, green fields by my daughters apartment and I just had this thought, “Why can’t this be easier. Why can’t we just let Lola out of the car, watch her run effortlessly into this gorgeous field, headed for the blue sky & poof, heaven takes her in a glimpse. We just smile watching her run and blowing her our love and kisses for her next life.” It was a beautiful image. One that I keep thinking about & trying to imagine that is how it is.

Another thing I don’t want to forget. I had to leave the room because when they sedated Lola she began to whimper and it became too hard for me. BUT, on the way home, I was sobbing and I heard the same whimper sound coming from within me. Like a flood of emotion that washed over me, I felt, “that is the same sound as Lola’s whimper. She was making that sound because of how much she was going to miss us.” A huge wash of peace hit me as I shared that sweet sentiment with my husband. He broke down and so appreciated that thought. He needed to hear that because the whole experience was so hard.

We will genuinely miss our beautiful LOLA LOVIE but we know she is running in a lush, green field with a bright blue sky beyond the horizon with butterflies dancing around, birds flying over head and her little body not feeling any pain…just LOVE. A LOVE SO DEEP THAT OUR SWEET WHIMPERS CAN BE FELT from ONE ANOTHER—it is like a sweet circle of LOVE that goes from our loving LOLA to us on earth and back to her. We have a beautiful connection from heaven to earth.

LOVE YOU, LOLA

We MISS you soo much. You have left a BEAUTIFUL, HAPPY, LOVING hole in our hearts that will never be filled until we hug you again…one day. XOXOXO

Don’t cry because its over, SMILE because it happened. -dr seuss

I am SOO genuinely HAPPY we had this beautiful soul in our life. I SMILE now because we got the short time to LOVE and be LOVED by her. xoxo LOVE YOU LOLA

Peace, Love and Light to you. -H

PLEASE go hug those furry LOVES you have in your life and be so grateful to hug them now & forever.