Love Never Dies

My beloved grand-dog Cassie crossed over the Rainbow bridge today. I know my dad was there for her.

My dad loved Cassie. Growing up we had dogs and cats and my dad was truly an animal lover. Cassie filled the void that was left when there was no longer an animal in my parents' house. My daughter would bring Cassie to visit her Grandpa and he loved it.

Cassie was one of those dogs that seemed more like a person. She didn't need to be walked on a leash because she was so well-trained that she listened. She loved to sit on your lap and enjoyed being around a group of people because that meant she would get more attention. Cassie loved attention. At one time she was full of energy and would go from person to person working the room for love.

My daughter used to say that Cassie was a little girl hidden in a dog suit and that is exactly how she treated her all these years. Cassie had so many clothes and toys that she was like a spoiled little girl but to me, she never seemed spoiled.

Before I had a human grandchild I had Cassie. Even when my grandsons were born, Cassie still rated highly as my grand-dog. Cassie was my 4-legged granddaughter and Captain and Coco are my 2-legged grandsons. That is just how it is to me.

Cassie's health had been declining the last few months and as much as we hoped for a miracle, we all knew her time was coming. When my dad passed a little more than 2 weeks ago, I worried about how my daughter would take having to make the choice to end Cassie's suffering when she (like the rest of us) are still coming to grips with adjusting to life without my dad.

It was such a painful decision, one that she struggled with for some time but today Cassie let her know that it was time.

I didn't even have words to comfort my daughter because honestly, there is nothing I can say. I'm still struggling with accepting that my dad has passed. What could I possibly say to my daughter who was facing yet another great loss?

Saying goodbye is so painful. Cassie has been the constant in my daughter's life for so long. I always dreaded this day because I knew it would be so hard for her. Losing her right after losing my dad seems cruel but maybe there is comfort to be found.

I know he greeted Cassie as she made her way across the rainbow bridge. I can almost picture it- Cassie running to him, seeing the familiar face of someone who loved her.

Cassie was so special to our family and like my dad, it will take time to move on from this loss. Grieving is a part of life that people tend to avoid thinking about probably because it hurts so badly. I am trying to remember that love never dies. Death changes things but it can't change the love. It just becomes different.

The love will always be there in the memories and that will never die.