Lessons from a good boy

Today we said goodbye to a really good boy.  Seymour came to our house July fourth 2015.   He was a rescue dog that we found at a west river South Dakota animal rescue.  He had been caught in a snare and needed recovery time.  

Upon bringing him home, we had to learn all of his character traits and train his fear away.  It was amazing to watch him grow stable and helpful.  He wa such a good companion to me as I began my Greenhouse journey.  

He also learned the guide dog thing so quickly. But once he passed his “teenage years,” those running lungs expanded his chest size to the point that he no longer fit in my guide dog harness. The harness was for a 50-75 pound dog and Seymour weighed in at 95#! That was the same size as me. 

But as my eyesight continues to decline, some things just continue to be difficult. One of these chores is cleaning. And though Seymour was an exceptionally well-behaved housedog, my cleaning chores did increase with his presence here.  I get so dizzy while cleaning as I focus on a pinhole tunnel and suddenly the room has spun the opposite direction. Walls seem to move without my knowledge! 

So this past week has been a flurry of decision making. I saw an ad for a family looking for a house trained mature Labrador. It just seemed right to bless this family with such a good boy. 



Today we said goodbye. Seymour has been into giving hugs this past week. First it was to visitors, then he suddenly was giving us more hugs and also wanted to give his favorite neighbor a hug. It just seemed as if he knew he was saying goodbye. 

Or he just wanted to comfort. He is such a good hugger. 

We met the new family in a random parking lot. And that good boy didn’t even look back as he ventured off with them to the pet store to get some treats. 

If only the rest of us could take change so sweetly. The years flow to easily. The frustration at not being let-in on a change can make one unforgiving and frankly- cranky.  But change happens constantly. All around us the seasons change. Seasons that weather our faces just as readily as they weather our hearts. 

Take this lesson from a really good boy:
Don’t look back

Love those who need it

Live in the moment

Don’t hide in the house from rainy weather

Chase a cat if you feel like it

Give hugs freely

Have a good life Seymour! Enjoy your happy family!