When Dreams Come True

Stunning

The moment she captured Dave's heart

 I have rewritten this post over and over on the keyboard and in my head since we helped Maddie cross the bridge on Friday.  

On January 16, 2012, I promised myself and her that when she was gone I would not live in sorrow when she was no longer here because there was no sorrow in Madison. That particular day she turned 12 years old,  we had reached the peak of typical life expectancy for her breed.  So two and a half years later she has gone and I am honoring the commitment I made to her and myself.  This post is about joy and fun and happiness, it is about her.









She grabbed Dave by the heart when she was born and there she rests today.  His heart dog, he will always have a smile on his face when he recounts her birth and growing up.

Listening and working with me

So many of my agility dreams came true through her.  We trialed in 23 states total, more runs that I can recount, but I can hear her feet in the dirt and I can feel her breath on the back of my legs on the start line.  She was always game on,always ahead of me and often off course because I couldn't keep up.  I don't think I will ever have a bigger adrenaline rush at any start line of a road race or triathlon as I would get slipping her lead off and stepping away to run a course in competition with her.  She was driven, she was smart and she was happy.  We had a super working relationship, my only dog that would not work for anyone but me.  Selfishly I love that about her..

Happy!!!

Her health was always excellent, I don't recall a day of her being ill.  However, as she aged and arthritis began to make rising and lying down difficult, Stem Cell Therapy was introduced to us by our Veterinarian, Diane Castle.  Dave and I jumped on the opportunity to give her relief from the one thing that seemed to keep her off her mark.  On her 14th birthday she received the treatment.  It was such a huge success, and for the past 4.5 months we have had a dog whose body would once again go where her heart led her.  She had lost a little fun, but after stem cell, she regained interest in chasing Stetson, playing with toys and all around interaction with us.  This gift is beyond measure and has given us some of our happiest, most interactive times with her.  We will eternally be grateful for the additional memories we have gained in these past months.

We will always hold her in our hearts and cherish the fabulous years that we shared.  This last video is of my silly girl trying to get Stetson to play with her shortly after we brought him home.  It is the essence of her, happy woos.

"...even when I lose I'm winning
'cause I give you all of me
and you give me all of you..."  John Legend, All of Me


Dreams do come true...thank you Madison for making ours reality.

RIP sweet, sweet girl.
January 16, 2000 - May 23, 2014