I only have the quickest moment to be on here today because it’s my new assistant, Michelle’s, 29th birthday and we’re taking her to an early lunch in just a few minutes. The staff planted a tiara on her head when she walked in the door this morning and she still has it on. That tiny little fact would be so much funnier if you new our darling, athletic, ultra-professional new employee. Her former coworkers at the Whitehouse would fail to recognize her amid the Living Proof Ministry madness. She is an incredible delight to me and never moreso than today with her very business-like demeanor and that plastic crown on her head. We love you, Michelle! And we hope to celebrate your big 3-0 with you next year!
This very, very happy day is also a tad sad for my man and me. Melissa, too. She’s talked about it incessantly. Amanda’s too busy with babies or she’d be thinking about it, too. (Please, all cynics and non-pet lovers stop here for your own sakes!) We said good bye to our beloved bird dog, Beanie, a year ago today. I hate to be melodramatic (why should I stop now?) but it nearly killed us. We’d just lost my constant companion, Sunny, 21 days before that but she was almost 18 years old and, as much as we cried, we knew it was coming. She’d been sick off and on for a month. Beanie took us by surprise. She was 9 but we could have had a lot more time with her. Right after Sunny died, Beanie started laying in the bushes in the back yard like she was going to die, too. We kept telling her she was most certainly NOT going with Sunny. Then ten days later she was diagnosed with cancer all over her body and ten days after that, it had gone to her brain, causing constant seizures.
Some of you will remember that Beanie provided illustration after illustration in the Bible studies and sessions. She was stinking hilarious and had some of the most human-like antics you have ever seen in your life. (She loved to hold hands and take bubble baths, for starters.) She stole our hearts for good. We love our 1 year-olds, Star and Geli, so, so much and wouldn’t trade them for anything. But there are a couple of little graves out in the back yard of my home that I wish were not there today.
I’m picking up Marley and Me at Blockbuster today. I read the book when it first came out and adored it but the movie was released soon after we lost both dogs and we were still bawling our eyes out. Tonight’s the night. I’m giving way to it. Then I’ll get up tomorrow and get on with it.
I remember when that happened last year and how shocked I was when I read the post about Beanie. I could hardly believe that had happened so soon after Sunny died.
My condolences really! 🙁 I don't know what I would do if I lost my kitty, Luna! Animals really are a special gift from God!
Thinking of you today. I still remember crying over your loss last year.(: I actually just re-watched Marley and Me last night. I had seen it in the theaters and remember telling someone 'if I had been watching it at home it would have been the ugly cry'. Well last night it was. Yes have your tissues ready. I did.:) LOVED the book, and movie is good too. Enjoy. You'll definitely hug your dogs afterward.
Sheila, TN
Oh my husband and I just watched that movie last week and I too bawled, not just silent tears but the wailing kind. It brought back memories of 4 years ago when I had to make the same decision Owen Wilson has to and was there just like he is at the end.
On another note, I was in Target yesterday and saw a cute little ceramic plaque that SO made me think of you, Beth. It said "The Bigger the Hair, the Closer to God".
OK, that story was way too familiar. Growing up, my family had 2 miniature schnauzers. When I was 15, one of the dogs had been part of the family longer than me. Our other one was 9. The older one had been sick a while and we finally had to put her down. Not one week later, the younger one started showing symptoms that would lead to an inoperable heart tumor. Just like that, they were both gone – two members of the family I'd known practically my whole life. Heartsick. I understand how you feel. 3 months later, we got another little puppy at Christmas.
Thanks for bringing back memories of all those little guys again.
Please tell me you've read "Where the Red Fern Grows"? If not, read it.
Lindsey
McKinney, TX
Happy Birthday to Michelle. Hope she had a great day.
Mama Beth I understand where you coming from. I have two golden retrievers that I just love to death. I know what you mean about loving them so much. I hope you have lots of kleenex.
I wish I could just hug your neck right now. But since I can't, I will say a prayer for all yall.
love
Tammy S.
ps sorry if this is a duplicate…blogger told me it ate my other comment.
Hugs to all of the Moores! God gives us our sweet pets and He gives us our delicate hearts that mourn the things we love the most when they are gone!
Beanie was almost as much a part of your Siestas as your family. How many times did we hear a "Beanie" story in a Bible Study, or Life Today or in your blog.
We too have lost pets along the way and I think I cried for weeks. My heart ached. When I look at my sweet dog Jet… I try not to think of a time that he won't be here!
Happy Birthday Michelle!
Thank you for sharing your feelings about your dogs. As one who has grieved the loss of dogs, birds and horses, I understand. Our pets give us so much joy and yes become a part of our family.
It really hurts when you lose them. Last year when you told us, I thought of many of your antidotes throughout the studies that involved your puppies. God Bless you!!
Michelle,
Happy Birthday from D.C.!
My husband, Ian Ellis, also says "hi" and "Happy Bday" (he worked as a political at DOC).
Hope you have a great day!
🙂
The movie that jumped to my mind while I was reading your post was Where the Red Fern Grows…Ph my gosh…I still remember the first time seeing that movie…I bawled. Old Dan and Lil Ann, the dogs in the movie…so sweet. Have you seen it? Anyway I won't give anything away in case you haven't.
I still grieve over my beloved English Mastiff who passed away years ago. I love the dogs I have now, but how I miss that dog.
Love and Blessings,
Michelle in VT
PS Happy Birthday Michelle!
Beth your heartwarming post just saved my dogs life…literally. Before God, I tell you the truth….Oscar, our family dog ran away again and prior to this I once again spotted a pee spot…So I vowed not to take him back and even contemplated giving him away! I totally was at my wits end and then read your post and felt "loving" towards Oscar once again.
I am so sorry for you sad day. What a precious time of remembering those sweet pets of yours.
I'm having a happy/sad day myself. Sad because my man is out of town and I won't see him until Saturday night.
Happy because I get to see YOU tomorrow night in Pittsburgh!!!!! Looking forward to a wonderful time with you, Travis, siestas, friends and THE LORD! Just knowing He's gonna show up in a big way!
I know just how you feel about your Beanie and Sunny. Our pets become part ot the family. As I read your post I was bawling just imagining the sad day we loose our Millie and Max.
Anyone who has loved a dog gets it. We, too, have experienced the broken heart you're talking about. In your sadness, may you also celebrate the joy of their years with you. They are truly gifts from God.
Susan
Statesville. NC
Even Curtis cried during Marley and Me. Mom, I feel like I need to bring you chicken soup and some chocolate chip cookie dough tonight or something.
Make sure you pick up a box of tissues as well. It just about killed me.
TMI:
I have a five year old dog that has been my child. He recently started acting out and I knew it was because he was lonely and needed more attention or a sibling. Not wanting to be "that girl" with two dogs and no kids, I was willing to part with my buddy "Hobby" …or so I thought. We are walking through infertility and my husband really did not want to give him up until God chooses to bless us with some two legged children of our own. He knows much more lonely I would be.
Back to my point…
I watched that movie and bawled my eyes out. I fell in love with my Hobby all over again and knew felt like such a terrible person for ever even thinking of finding him a new home.
The end of the story?
I am "that girl". Hobby loves his new brother, George. 🙂
I just got home from seeing "UP" which caused me to shed tears. Very touching movie. Now it's time to shed tears again for you and your family. My family lost a dear cat Worthless in May of last year. He was 15 yrs and 1 month old. How we miss him. Yes, his name was Worthless, named by my dear husband who doesn't like cats. The humorous part is that Worthless loved my husband. My husband would tell the cat to come and get his free abuse and the cat would actually walk over to him and sit while my husband would rub behind his ear. Just a bit of more info, we had a cat also named Useless before Worthless. They were called the less brothers until Useless decided not to come back one day. My husbband says if we ever get more cats he will name them Dazed and Confused.
Now I'm reduced to puddles just laughing and crying about all your pets and mine. I'm managing a nursing home for my grown offspring's aging childhood pals. What gets me through is knowing God has supreme surprises in store; better than anything I imagine.
It just astounds me that I can live with these precious creatures for 15-20 years and never hear them speak a word, but we know each other so well.
This dread and despair at parting from our friends must be a shadow of how he feels when we are "away" from him.
Oh Beth, I hope ypu have a box of tissues.. Stop by the store if you don't because you will need them. Those pictures are precious. They made me cry for you and for my own dog and cat that sre gone.
But just as you we now have two new dogs, Rambler a dog that God sent use 4 months before or Maggie died and then the new addition Lilly, a precious Yorkie. I can feel the love form the pictures. Your in my prayers Love Stephanie form KY
Dear sweet Beth, My heart aches for you. I know first hand how hard it is to loose a pet. We have lost two dogs in the past. The last one "Ginger" was with us for 13 years. When we lost her to cancer, it was a very sad day in our house. But we since got another Golden Retriever "Tessa". She's quite a comical dog and so good with our grandchildren. Which is very important!
God Bless you and your ministry Beth.
Oh and yes you will definetly need those tissues tonight!!!
Thanks for sharing the memories Beth, pets do become a part of the family. We have a mini dauschaund (named AJ )who will be six this fall, and most spoiled! We also have a 13 yr. old calico cat named Sassy (along with being "sassy" she is sweet too) Both animals have been with us through the biggest tragedy of our life…losing our daughter…oh how she loved her pets and they her. God sure did give pets a unique ability to be theraputic.
Blessings!
Tammy in SD
I feel your pain, Beth. Praying for you today.
About Marley & Me … all I can say is that doggy and it's owners sure needed to meet Victoria Stillwell from Animal Planet's "It's Me or The Dog" (my girls' favorite TV show)!!
DON'T DO IT! Don't watch that movie…if I could physically reach out and grab it from you I would. Yes, it's beautiful, but I was absolutely 100% hysterical the whole time. My precious Lab mix, Jake sat on mine and my husband's lap while we watched (he's big like that) and he kept looking at us like we were crazy. BUT if you're going to go through with it and watch it, pick up some Ben & Jerry's to help you through. Guarantee you'll eat the whole thing.
Sometimes a good cry is just what you need. My family lost our yellow lab of 17 years last August, and we still haven't been able to watch Marley & Me either. You are brave.
Feeling your loss
Leslie
Louisiana
They touched all our lives. I remember many stories where you used them to illustrate a biblical concept. I, like Siesta Annika, do not even have a dog and I cried when Sunny and Beanie died. I remember when this all happened last year and re-lived it with you when we just studied Esther. I hope today brings you more happy memories than sad and that you enjoy time with your new buddies!
Happy Birthday Michelle, welcome to Siestaville!
Lori
Dear Beth and family,
Thank you for sharing all sorts of your life, your moments and memories with us… the joyous ones to the sad ones…. and this is not trivial.
I remember my first cat, I had Willow since I was 4, and she died May of my senior year in high school. I remember laying with her, the last night she was home, staying up way past my parents. She had tumors all over, and the only place I could touch her was her ears and the top of her head. She laid on me, and even managed to purr a bit as I rubbed her. I never let my mom see how much it bothered me, but I still really miss her… usually cats are one person animals, and I was her person (not the other way round!).
Thank you so much for sharing, even if it is hard.
God bless you,
Heather
Mosinee, WI
I can so relate to your sad day, missing your dogs. Almost a year ago we had to put down my sweet dalmatian,Cookie. She had brown and white spots and reminded me of a big chocolate chip cookie! I had adopted her from the animal shelter and she had that sad but grateful look most of the time. She liked for me to just pet her and love on her. I'm glad she had time with us to be loved. Dogs are definitely man's AND woman's best friends.
Oh no!! Not Marley and Me- I don't think I could handle watching that otherwise charming and very sweet movie EVER again. Forget the Kleenex and the cute girly sniffles, you're gonna need a snot mop and plenty of room for the dry heaves brought on from crying so hard!!
I'm joking, kind of…it's hard but worth it, just like sharing life with pets in the first place.
I hope you enjoy the movie, and I'm glad you got to enjoy a birthday with a special new friend. And as you said, get it out, and get on, having remembered your precious doggies and the many joys they brought to you.
Blessings,
Bethany
oH! I am SO sorry! And it is not 'trivially' sad, it is stinking horrible and the loss is so hard to deal with! Just this AM I awoke after having had a dream of my BFF, Bogey, and how he found me and recognized me and came runnning tome and jumped in to my arms and we just loved and loved and loved on each other! It was just SO real…I could feel him and I could smell him,and those deep blue eyes were a sight for this mourning heart! So I've been border-line melancholy all morning, but afraid to shed a tear, because I have actually feared if I ever shed a tear that I'd never stopcrying! Well – reading about your two precious doggies has, indeed, brought on the tears…and I still fear I'll never stop! But in an odd way I also thank you, because I've known for awhile now that there are some emotions that just can't be locked up and compartmentalized in your brain.Thank you for sharing your Memory Day of Beanie,and thank you, Lord, for allowing their mourning to work as the catalyst to finisih my grieving processs and eventual healing! Yor Sister in Christ, Cheryl
It's really sad your going to cry!But sometimes it feels good nothing like a good cry! Understand your pain we had to put our dog to sleep she was 16 years old it was soooooo sad!I have lots a good memories too.
Right next to the Most High where are you gonna get unconditional love? only a dog (maybe a cat, gerbil, bird… but I don't know about them).
And I'm just sayin'
U-G-L-Y C-R-Y
My mom gave my man, the Marley & Me dvd for his birthday…he did not know anything about the show. (you must know that our sweet Australian Cattle dog (Squeak) is coming up on 10 years old)…
let me just say that the dvd has been banned…to quote him, "that is clearly a one watch movie…I am so sorry your mom spent the money…" And Squeak may still be getting extra treats…
Love ya,
Lauri
I don't think you are being melodramatic at all! You should meet my mom-she is the ultimate bleeding heart for animals. Her 15 dogs, 10 cats and even a squirrel (spelling??) are proof enough.
Beware you will need tons of tissue…I mean tons for that movie. It is so precious though!
Thanks for being soo real with the world!
I already have tears in my eyes. Enjoy the movie and your memories of your dogs.
I do not even have a dog, and I cried like a baby when I watched Marley and Me. I have lost a child, so that part of the movie got to me more. I just finished the Esther study with some girls from church who don't read this blog (yet). We laughed as you told the story of Beanie "on point". I didn't have the heart to tell them that she passed away. Praying for you today Beth. I don't think the loss of a dog is trivial at all. It was big to you, because they were a part of your family. I'll be praying for you today. I know it's a difficult one.
Much Love,
Kathryn
Someone asked Billy Graham if dogs go to heaven, and he replied (my paraphase from memory): If having your dogs in heaven makes heaven a perfect place, your dogs will be there.
And while I have your ear, Beth – Do you know what your next Bible study will be on – maybe Ruth, maybe the armor of God from Ephesians 6, maybe on prayer?
ahhh…. I love you my friend…I know what its like to lose good friends. Praying for the God of all comfort to comfort your heart, even now a year later…He's right there with you…but you know that!
if you are watching Marley and Me tonight get two boxes of kleenex one for you and one for Keith and it might not hurt to get the ones with lotion you will need it. Puppies have a way of stealing our hearts don't they I turned twenty-nine was not married so no children so I did what anyone would do right I bought a dog and she is my joy and delight.
hugs on a dad day.
C
I am totally not an animal person(maybe because I have allergies) but I seriously bawled when I saw Marley and Me.
The one time I did have a pet it was a hamster and when it got sick and died I was totally traumatized. I cried over that thing for days. That's the other reason I don't have pets.
Let us know how the movie goes.
Big HUGS!
I wouldn't consider it trivial at all and totally appropriate to give in to it! Happy Birthday to your new assistant with the darling crown. We need a picture of that!
I know how you feel….I lost my "Buddy" several years ago but he was my constant companion so when I lost him, I was DEVASTATED!!!!!
Regarding Marley and Me…..I bawled like a baby right there in the theater…..along with every other soul there!
Blessings,
Ginger
Wetumpka
We watched the movie not too long ago. I warned my boys. They thought they could take it. Thank God for the fast forward button. My 8 year old was heaving sobs for more than an hour…kinda like me the first time I saw Steel Magnolias.
It takes what it takes.
Love you so!
I am so with you . I lost my Buddy last Oct. 5th and still miss him every day. He was so precious and made everyone feel loved just when they needed some TLC. Pets just know when you need extra love. They love unconditionally just like Christ loves us. What a gift!
We had a black lab mix named Blue Duck (yes, one too many viewings of Lonesome Dove). My mom loved that dog to pieces and cried hard when we had to put him down. We sympathize with you. Enjoy the good cry. It does us all good at times.
So sorry! I know how hard it is to put down a pet. They are a living breathing part of your everyday life. It needs no explaination. I really believe God allows them into our lives to give us what we need…love and a listening ear.
Beth, the picture of Beanie opening her Christmas present … I'm looking at the ottoman and is that your precious Bible I see? Beautiful! It's hard to imagine a picture image of you, without your Bible. Surely makes God smile!
Love, Shelli
You are really going to love Marley and Me but yes, you will bawl your eyes out. I hope it brings closure to losing your dear ones.
Thank you for sharing your pictures- they reveal the love you had/have for them and the reasons why!
Love you,
Fran
Gulf Shores, AL
Beth, I just love this post. God has always used animals in my life even before I knew God I can look back and see the source of love and comfort God gave me through my animals. I pray that your heart will be uplifted tonight with good memories and laughter!
Much Love,
Natasha
Davenport, IA
Oh my gosh! I totally get it! I think it's a good thing to feel the grief and deal with it…those dogs were IT in your family and they are missed. Thank you for sharing all the stories about them with all of us through the years.
I feel dogs are angels on earth…angels that are covered in fur and have 4 legs. They are treasured little beings in my eyes!
I cried HARD when I read 'Marley and Me' and cried again when I saw the movie. It'll be cathartic for you. Keep the kleenex on hand!
Shelly
Portland, OR
Thoughts and prayers are with you both tonight. We too, lost 2 very special pets at the same time you and Keith did Mister and Abby were 14 and 16 and died within 2 months of each other and it tore us up inside, but we have an adorable Boston Terrier 1 year old and a 6 month Boston Terrier that keep us smiling just like your two do for you. God is so good when he blesses us with pets.
Be prepared to cry but you will also have laughter with the movie. Our puppies barked everytime Marley did. It helped alot.
Love your true spirit.
Blessings,
Geneva