Our boy, the beautiful Leonberger known around here as Sir Lickalot went on his journey on Saturday, December 30, 2017.
It was coming. I had been telling the kids for a while that his time was running out, getting old and slow. No more daily walks, he didn’t want to move around much and his appetite had diminished.
But that’s how life goes, and if I’m being totally honest, the circle of life was the reason we got him in the first place.
It’s not news I’m a farm girl, I’ve seen animals in all stages of life and death. I’ve seen my dad elbow deep in a ewe, trying to turn a lamb to help delivery. I’ve seen my mum try to sew a possum back together after it was in a felled tree and hit by a chainsaw, and I’ve buried many pets of all variety and size.
The day we brought him home
I wanted my children to have an animal in their lives so they could learn empathy, responsibility and ultimately, life and death.
That was the premise of getting a dog while living in a New York apartment, but in actuality, Sir Lickalot became much more than a means to a life lesson. He was a member of the family, he was unique in his ways and taught the children so many things about disabilities, happiness and positivity, just by living his life with us for almost 9 years.
He’s still with us in spirit, he’s made visitations to some of us, and is often in our daily thoughts and conversations. While rearranging the furniture recently, My Lord Dr King and I lamented on where he might have positioned himself for comfort and long day snoozes.
We’ve moved things away from the dog door because we didn’t want him to not be able to get in or out.
Adjustment to an absence in your life takes time. Grief is a fickle thing but the children have handled it well. As a first experience of losing a pet, it went as well as can be expected. I’m very proud of them.
During a get together the following evening for NYE, I announced to our gathering that our boy had gone on. So well loved there wasn’t a dry eye at the table. Miss Gremlin had a first when she saw her father cry. If ever there’s a right way to show your children that emotions are totally ok, crying for this dog goes a long way towards that. He was just that awesome.
So go on your journey old boy, and thanks for all the memories.
Sir Lickalot loved the snow, so it was fitting that he got one last walk in it.