An Ode to Nike

My son and his family had to put their beloved dog to sleep today. Nike was 11 and had gone blind, had bladder and kidney troubles, arthritis and was at times becoming disoriented. We all loved Nike, but probably not to the extent that my daughter and youngest grandson did. There were tears today and I am sure there will be tears for a while.

Nike

When Nike came into our lives, my son and daughter-in-law lived in "the little house on the prairie". Within a few short months of living there, they obtained two dogs. Cassie, the first acquisition was a rescue dog from way up north. Cassie occupation would be to chase the ball for hours on end. Cassie was a bit territorial and if she didn't hear you coming, the situation could get a bit dicey. When she was probably 9 or 10, they decided it wasn't safe and had her put down. Nike had come from another pet rescue place. Both dogs were a little big for a 900 sq. ft. house so hours everyday would be spent outside.

Nike was a bit challenged when it came to learning to play with toys but my how she could run and run she did. You did not let her out of your site for a second or we would be running down the road often for miles to catch her and bring her back home. When she got home she would be smiling like she'd just won the dogie marathon! Her second occupation was digging. They put in a beautiful dog run which lasted all of about two weeks. No, the dogs didn't destroy it, Nike dug her way out so many times that there was no use in keeping the two of them in it any longer. So, what was the alternative - the horse barn. The dogs loved it in there. It was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It had a dutch door and weather permitting, Nike could hang her head over the bottom part and watch the world go by. Thankfully, she never did get the notion that if she jumped, she could get out. From there they moved into a town and Nike's days changed. They had a yard that was fenced and Nike never did figure out how to get out. Her next occupation became goose chaser. My son runs a golf course and the players do not take kindly to having goose droppings all over the course. A few times a week my son would take Nike to the course. She loved her new job and took it seriously. Those poor geese never knew what hit them when Nike was on patrol.

When the two kids were born, they each had a favourite dog. Granddaughter's was Cassie and Grandson's was Nike, though he would never let on that he even liked Nike. However, if you took a glimpse around the corner more than likely grandson would be curled up next to Nike having a snooze. Already grandson is asking when Nike is coming home to cuddle with him - he's almost 3 and is having a hard time understanding. We have suggested to him that Nike is with granddad and that granddad is taking Nike to do a job with him. You see, grandson's favourite thing was to "do a job" with granddad. They would fix things and Glenn always had the patience and took the time to teach little grandson, so if he has the visual in his head of Granddad taking Nike to do a job with him, it might help him feel better about loosing his best friend.

As for my daughter, she took very good care of Nike when she was visiting with them and yes, she too will have many tears for Nike today. Even though she is in her 30s, I believe she hopes God has a special place for all the pets in heaven!

And so ends another day. I am thankful how this dog has made us all stop and pnder life today. My hope is that through the process of losing a pet, we will become softer hearted people. Not just towards animals, but towards people and relationships, as everything that happens in life is an opportunity for us to grow and become more Christ like.

Blessings

Jean