Our sweet Gracie passed away in my arms this morning. Her Daddy, Uncle Jerry, and Auntie Lulu were all joining me in wishing her farewell. Her sister Sophie who was her very bonded and life-long friend lay beside her. Little Penny laid on my legs at Gracie’s feet. Chelsea and Faith looked on in Auntie Lulu’s arms. Gracie waged a courageous battle against canine lymphoma and had 19 extra months of quality life thanks to the loving care of Melanie Mc Mahon, DVM and techs Pam and Carol as well as all the staff at Northwest Veterinary Specialists. She was well during almost all of her months of treatment. We were told she was always a great patient.
Gracie was the foodie in our clan. She galloped rather than ran so we always referred to her as our “Galloping Gourmet”. She was always the first in line for breakfast or dinner and anything in between. As she galloped about her ears flopped endearingly with each step.
As I have said many times Gracie and I were enmeshed but we liked it that way. She was whereever I was these last 13 plus years. She would have been 14 in January. She was sweet and sometimes goofy especially as an adolescent. She occasionally got into mischief. She was skunked twice, once at 3 AM when I let her out to potty. On one occasion, during her puppyhood, my aunt and I spent over an hour cutting burrs out of her fur after she had run amuck in our giant oak forest that was our backyard in California. She was forever the watch dog looking out off our deck in Santa Rosa and our windows here in Battle Ground. She was always the first to alert us when someone was arriving.
She was a beautiful animal with a gorgeous just barely wavy thick white coat, Her tail was full and draped beautifully to the floor. Her lashes were long suggesting we should have named her Mabeline. Those eyes were beautiful, large and brown with black halos around them.
She and Sophie were always together, we called them Frick and Frack. So I have had two welcome sweet appendages about me, even to the bathroom and into bed at night. Gracie slept on a pillow in our bed above my head. She spent her last night in my arms in our family room with the soft lights of our Christmas trees. We said our goodbyes. From Gracie, I truly experienced unconditional love and loyalty. There will never be a day as long as I live that I will not feel her loss and remember her with love. She was lovingly and caringly assisted in her journey forward by Elaine Stevens DVM of Compassionate Care. She passed on looking at one of our beautiful Christmas trees sitting on the table next to her. She peacefully drifted away to join Millie, Ariel, “The Pookster” and Sera who all proceeded her.
Good bye sweet Gracie you will forever be in our hearts.
Christine (Mom to you dear heart)
Ron and Christine Broderick, Battle Ground, WA
