June 2013, Carefree – One of our 10 year old Shelties, Tigger (r), departed the world earlier this month, well short of a Shetland Sheepdog’s normal lifespan.
I lost my best friend.
When I got home from the hospital last August, Tigger stayed with me every minute; in my office, in the family room, or on the bed lying next to me, he was constantly at my side – as always. Little did I know that he had developed Kidney disease.
From late August until March of this year Tigger seemed to be doing reasonably well on a Kidney-friendly low-protein diet. But then things turned. I’ll skip all the painful details leading to his end on June 6, but know it was very, very difficult. All through Spring, I sensed Tigger would let us know when it was time, which he did shortly after we went to bed the evening before. He could not get comfortable, he could not rest. His eyes told us the time had arrived.
I realize Tigger was ‘only a dog’, not a person. Yet losing him was as painful as losing any loved one. I know many, if not all of you, have experienced personal loss – often coming after years of pain and sorrow. It is never easy, whether a spouse, a parent, a loved one, or a dear friend. Everyone has to find their own unique way of coping.
Many have pegged me as a hard-ass, a hard case, a general pain in the ass. That is likely the reason I found it so unnerving to discover I was not ‘getting over it’. Chores are piling up; to-do’s aren’t getting done. Everywhere I turn, every time I look at his brother Nitro, I see the reminders of Tigger. From the beginning it was clear he was a special puppy who would quickly become a very special best friend.
I miss him sorely.
In an effort to overcome my gloom I undertook a project which I’d like to share with you now. Please indulge my human frailty. You’ll have an opportunity to view a PowerPoint show which I hope, on some level, conveys the essence of Tigger and his relationship with us, his family.
I will eventually create a video version which will be viewable at the private video website, Vimeo (unlike YouTube), but that will come in a week or so. For now the show will remain as a Download link on this website. Downloading the file to your Desktop generally works best. You can then simply double click on it to begin the Show. Please click the link below to download the PowerPoint Show [see notes below the link regarding PowerPoint]:
Tigger’s Journey – A Life Story
I created the show using PowerPoint 2010 so it may not run properly in an older version which may be installed on your system.
If you don’t have PowerPoint, or if you have an old version, you may download the free PowerPoint viewer directly from Microsoft using one of the following links:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=13
If you’d like to view the show but have any problem(s) doing so, just give me a call or send me an email – I’ll be glad to help.
The actual show is automatically paced, hopefully giving adequate time to read some text and to view photos. The music should play at a reasonable level for your system. However, you may have to adjust the volume manually and then restart the show.
Thank you for your indulgence, and please remember, if you have any difficulty viewing the show, or if you have comments about the speed or volume, just let me know.
P.S. In December 2018, we adopted a rescue dog; not a purebred like Tigger and Nitro but a loveable, sweet mix that needed a home. We needed laughter, joy and the love of a canine friend. We all received what we needed!
My best to you, thanks for visiting…