Last Saturday was my grand baby Meghan’s seventh birthday. We weren’t allowed to go which was OK with us. Pocket and I look for high ground when there is a lot of people stumbling around like the Walking Dead. Every time Mommy and Daddy go to my sister Kim’s house my cousin Bailey does some sniffing and licking on their hands to send me a message.
I met Bailey a long time ago, the day after I said “Gotcha” to my parents. She was four years old, the age Pocket is now, with lots of spunk, and we played together. When Mommy and Daddy would go away I would stay at Kim’s and play with Bailey, and when Bailey’s family went away she stayed with us. By the time Pocket came along Bailey and I were older and we would look at exuberant little Pocket, shake our heads and say “kids.” Bailey spent most of her time lying on the couch watching the world go by. When she was with us we always gave her Mommy’s lap because we are good hosts.
When Mommy got home Saturday there was no sniff message from Bailey. I asked Mommy if Bailey had stayed in the bedroom and Mommy gave me the bad news. Two hours before the party, while following her Mom Kim, as she always did, her legs gave out, she fell, and was swiftly transported to the Bridge. I let out a small cry.
Oh Bailey I will miss all your funny ways. I will miss going for walks with you: The way you lifted your paws up high while walking, and how you would pee 15 times on a five minute walk. You always had your tongue hanging out and your tail up, so proud to be shown to the neighbors. The way you would jump down ,barking and tail wagging whenever someone came to the door. The way you curled up in just the right position for me to curl up with you.
But most of all Bailey I want to thank you for taking care of my extended family. You were my sister Kim’s dog before she had kids, before she even had a husband. We all worry about family when they move away, but I knew I could worry less about her because she had you to protect her. Then when my grand babies were born, first Madison, then Meghan, you were the best baby watcher ever. That they have grown up to be nice, proper girls I owe to you..
I knew if any of them got sick, or had an injury, or if the meaness in this world had brought them down, you would snuggle with them until they felt better. If any of them felt they were friendless you were their friend. When you grew older, and only wanted to sit on the couch (Mommy called you the Queen Mother) you never snapped nor squirmed if one of the girls picked you up and carried you off to play. And when their Daddy brought home Riley, a giant boxer puppy with lots of energy and slobber, you just moved higher up on the couch and ignored Riley’s silliness.
Although you have left us all with broken hearts I am glad you went to the Bridge as you did. You left us as you lived with us, without fuss or noise. You just slipped away midstep. There were no trips to the vet, no big bills, you didn’t leave your Mom and Dad with a difficult decision to make. You never put yourself first. When your Daddy worked the overnight shift, and you spent the night snuggled with Mommy, you would go right back to bed to keep Daddy company too. When one of the children was sick you would leave the warm spot on the couch to keep them warm. You were a selfless little dog. You made the lives of every human you knew better.
I’ll miss you snuggling in our bed a couple of weeks a year, I’ll miss visiting you and watching the young dogs foolishly play, I’ll miss how we used to talk about Blaksie Bear, and I’ll miss your pretty face. I can’t think of anything else to say, so I adapted a song for you, and I will miss you the rest of my remaining days. You may have been officially my cousin, but I will miss you forever my sister.
Well I came by your house the other day, your mother said you went away
She said there was nothing that I could have done
There was nothing nobody could say
Me and you we’ve known each other ever since we was little pups
I wished I would have known I wished I could have called you
Just to say goodbye Bailey Girl
Now you hung with me when all the others turned away turned up their nose
We liked the same treats we liked the same kibble we liked the same harnesses
We told each other that we were the wildest, the wildest things we’d ever seen
Now I wished you would have told me I wished I could have talked to you
Just to say goodbye Bailey Girl
Now we went walking in the rain trying to find a dry spot on which we could pee
Now there aint nobody nowhere nohow gonna ever understand how it was with you me
Maybe you'll be up there on that bridge somewhere
Playing with Blake, running along
In a meadow somewhere there’ll be a computer on
And you'll see me writing my blog
Well if you do you'll know I’m thinking of you and all the lives in between
And I’m just calling one last time not to bring you back
But just to say I miss you baby, good luck goodbye, Bailey Dog
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