“KEEPING THE FAITH”

I’ve decided that I’m ready to, “Come up for air”.

Recently I received an email from wordpress; it detailed the performance from The Border Collie Inquisitor for 2014. The results were gratifying. This would be the motivator I’d need to start writing again.  I’ve deeply missed the connection with the readership.

Allow me to briefly explain my absence.

My family and I recently suffered nearly insurmountable losses. Losing (4) of our beloved dogs last year took its toll.

I found the courage to write about our Epic, she was our first loss in January, https://bordercollieinquisitor.com/2014/01/02/game-of-bones/

March came in like a Lion and our old and faithful Scout was gone.                https://bordercollieinquisitor.com/2014/02/26/the-pack-part-2/

No sooner had we started to get ourselves settled into the new pack order my side kick Deja Blue aka Boo was diagnosed with liver cancer. Her diagnosis hit me like a violent tornado as it made its first initial powerful punch. We sat in the eye of the storm, treasuring every moment we had left until August when the eye wall unmercifully hit with vehement intensity and we lost of Boo. I’ve not yet found the courage to tell her story. Even now I pause to sob.

The final chapter in October was our Tulley, https://bordercollieinquisitor.com/category/mean-dog/   diagnosed with lymphoma; this had to be a bad dream. How and where would I ever find the strength, I was, at that time, completely and utterly broken. How was I going to break this news to my husband? Tulley was after all, his constant companion. I would somehow find the faith.  I took a deep breath, pulled myself together determined to rid this cancer from Tulley’s body.                                                                    https://bordercollieinquisitor.com/2014/10/16/chemotherapy/    https://bordercollieinquisitor.com/2014/10/25/chemotherapy-2/             https://bordercollieinquisitor.com/2014/11/24/precious_moments/

Sadly determination and reality collided and just a week before Christmas and Tulley could fight no more.

I so appreciate my co-writer and dear friend Lisa for posting a final farewell.    https://bordercollieinquisitor.com/2014/12/16/farewell-sweet-tulley/

Time is powerful, it moves along with no regard or limits, so we’ll take all of the time that we need. Grief is a process; it goes its own way, and in its own time. It’s the little things, the day to day interactions when we mostly feel their loss.

The Quakers have a saying, “if you love, you will suffer, and it is worth it.”

A friend recently thanked my husband for helping to house a dog at his shelter for 17 months until a special loving home was found.

“Thank you for keeping the faith,” George stated. So profound I thought these three words. And so we will, “Keep the Faith.”

Many thanks to all, your love and support has carried us through.

“Godspeed to our beloved Epic, Scout, Deja and Tulley”.

“After the tears, there will be a rainbow.”                                                                                                                                                   Terri Florentino