"Dogs die. But dogs live, too. Right up until they die, they live. They live brave, beautiful lives. They protect their families. And love us. And make our lives a little brighter. And they don’t waste time being afraid of tomorrow."
–Dan Gemeinhart
This blog has a purpose, to capture the history of our family. We fill these pages with happy memories, smiles, and laughter because that’s what we want to remember. The sad days and tears are simply building blocks, unfortunate moments in time that help us appreciate the good days. This week was a sad one. Rusty, our friend and family member of 13 years, went to sleep and passed away peacefully and in no pain. He spent his last days being constantly loved on, never a step away from his family. The amount of shed tears exemplified what Rusty meant to us, and he will forever have a place in our hearts.
It was hard on the kids. Rusty was there to greet each of them as babies when they came home from the hospital. He was watching when they took their first steps. He was there for every birthday, he said goodbye on the first day of school and welcomed them when they came back. They cried, but they did their best to make Rusty comfortable. They made him treats, they sat by his side and held him, they put blankets on him to keep him warm.
He was a good boy and our friend. He was a companion and protector. Like all dogs, he loved unconditionally. I don’t have the words to do Rusty justice, instead I will let pictures speak for me. I wish I had more, I wish I had a better way to show what Rusty meant to us. But this will have to do. We miss you Rusty, we love you. Goodbye old friend.
