Goodbye Old Friend

    Ginger 1998 - 2009

    Ginger 1998 - 2009

    Today I had the unwelcome task of saying “Goodbye”to a great friend of the last 11 years. Ginger,a tiny Pomeranian has shared our home,our bed,our lives and our hearts for all of this time.

    From the time she was just a tiny puppy that barely filled my hand she quickly let us know that as long as she was around we would not lack for love. Whenever either of us was away from home she visibly grieved and each time we returned home from anywhere we received an energetic and genuinely sincere welcome. She sat by my side regularly to help me watch TV and never complained about my choice of programming. She was always ready to challenge anything that threatened her home or family even if it was 20 times her size. She welcomed guests into our home like the good hostess she always was. When anyone was ill in her home she held vigil until their return to health. For some eleven years she rejoiced in our joys and shared in our sorrows. What more could one ask of a true friend?

    About a year ago we learned that she had a leaking heart valve and was developing congestive heart failure. Since then she has been on a number of medications that helped,but did not arrest the continuous progression of her condition. This week she became so weakened by almost constant coughing and struggling for breath that we concluded that the kindest thing at this point was to end her suffering. We took her to the local animal shelter where she died painlessly this morning in my arms here in Panama City,FL.

    Ginger is gone now,but will never be forgotten. Really great friends never are,but forever are etched in our hearts.

    Rest in peace Ginger. We love you.