Goodbye Old Friend

I know this is a style blog, but this post is being written – for me, please bare with me as I feel like this chapter needs to be told to honor my dear old friend. So here I go…..

Ad-man and I met in the winter of 2001, that was a rough year for everyone, 9/11 happened after all. It was also a tough year of Ad-man and his young golden retriever Bailey. They had seen many changes in their lives and were just finding their equilibrium, two guys making a new life for themselves. Then I happened onto the scene and Ad-man and I fell in love. Bailey was part of the package, and he and I slowly came to love each other too, but that road was a tough one for both of us. He, a young rambunctious puppy and me a lover of small more frilly dogs.

Ad-man and Bailey took a road trip across the country together from New Hampshire to California and back again. He likes to tell people that Bailey peed in 32 states, and swam in the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. Pretty impressive, no?!

Bailey lovingly accepted my two little Shih Tzu’s and then welcomed a new family member, Meiko, after his old friends were lost to old age.

He certainly took everything in stride, well except for fireworks and thunderstorms and then he could be found hiding in the shower in the basement. Ad-man thinks he may have lived in Kansas in a previous life.

We all enjoyed 9 years of walks, and treats, romps in the snow and summer afternoons playing in the pool. But all good things have their ending and in April the vet found a Mast Cell tumor on Mr. Bailey’s foot, we made the best of his last summer with extra walks and snacks and love in every way we could muster. One morning in July we awoke to a very sick old boy; Ad-man cancelled a business trip and we both hoped that he would rally. That rally never came he was simply too tired and ready to go.

It’s hard to get that timing right, when to let go? You don’t want to deprive them of time they have left, yet you also don’t want a moment of unnecessary suffering. I’m so very proud of Ad-man, for I truly believe that his timing with his best friend could not have been better. He was strong and brave for his buddy every step of the way. Ad-man’s face was the last thing Bailey saw, along with us both telling him what a very special boy he was. That’s how you repay unconditional love!

His name was inspired by George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life, and wonderful it was for him and all of us that had the privilege of sharing our lives with him.

Godspeed sweet boy. Godspeed.