Lexi

R.I.P. Lexi (6/30/2004 – 2/29/2016)

[For those that aren’t animal lovers, this little post might seem absurd.

And that’s okay if you don’t empathize. But you might want to quit reading now.]

Lexi in August 2004

What's more chill than this?

Yesterday, my family and I said good-bye to Lexi. She was very ill and was in much pain.* While four-legged and covered in fur, she was a member of our family in every sense of the word, and she certainly saw herself as a full-fledged member of the family. As with most Golden Retrievers, she was a happy, gentle-spirited dog (once past those “puppy brain” years, anyway). She was full of love. All she wanted was love in return. Also: play time, rides, good brushings and treats.

She was a huge fan of remote-controlled toys, especially cars/trucks. Even on her last day, in her last hurrah, while her movements weren’t as quick-footed, her happy barks were as yippy as a pup’s. Lexi also loved other little creatures, especially kittens (and baby bunnies, when we raised them as pets). One of my favorite pictures of her was taken with “her” kittens, which was a motherless group of four: Oreo, Linkon (a.k.a. Link), Pounce (a.k.a. Pouncey) and Petri.

Lexi was also the most caring of dogs. I fondly recall a time, years ago, when we were playing fetch (huge fan of tennis balls; she could never have enough), I ran and threw the ball. However, when I threw it, I caught the edge between the cement and the driveway and fell. Lexi would NOT retrieve the ball until I got up, and she could see that I was uninjured. What a caretaker!

Our hearts ache for our beloved family member. We miss her more than words can express or tears can show. We’ll miss her tender personality, and we’ll miss her “scolding” any of us if we walked in the door after being gone for a time she felt was too long. It didn’t matter if you lived here or not. If she thought you needed scolding, she’d give you the what-for! To our pet who’s full of pure love: We love you, we miss you, and we’ll see you on the other side.

* A great, big THANK YOU goes out to one of our local veterinarians, who enabled Lexi to leave this world peacefully. Another big round of THANK YOUs goes out to our veterinarian relatives who were but a phone call or text away with advice and answers to questions.