Our Miracle

Miracle. Perhaps never another dog so aptly named for what he brought to our lives by just being.

This past week, Thursday, October 26, 2023, will forever be burned into our memories, because on this day, we had to say goodbye to our little fury pal.

Over the past several months, we have watched him slow down and show his age of nearly fifteen years old. Although we made sure that he was healthy and happy, his quality of life was still good; we knew his time was coming to an end. I believe you can prepare yourself all you want prior to an event like this, but it never truly covers it. The feeling of loss is great and has weighed on us each minute of each hour since we said goodbye.

He dedicated his life to us, gave without thought of return, and was more loyal than we deserved. Miracle could make us smile just by a movement of his leg or ears, or a seemingly sigh sound that he would make. We are fortunate to have had thousands of smiles and laughs that we can attribute to him. I don’t know what dogs really think of course, but I would like to think that he loved us too. His actions certainly seem to say as much. Coming home to a wagging, hopping, dog is one of the best greetings a person can get. Cuddling wasn’t his thing, but every now and then he would oblige you, which in some ways, made it that much more meaningful.

It has been a few days since his passing and we’re still both very much in the grieving process. We have had a few moments that we could share some happy memories with each other, reminiscing about our little dog.

I think my favorite thing was to boop his little nose and play with his paw. When he would get really tired, he would try and force himself to stay awake, and you could watch him nod off and quickly recover and almost act like nothing happened. During this sleepy period, he was much more open to you playing with his paws or face.

He certainly had a full life, even more than some people I know. Miracle spent time on beaches along the Pacific coast of California, Gulf cost of Florida, and the Atlantic Ocean of Florida. He was above 6,200 feet in the high Sierra Nevada mountains, and even higher during his flight from California to Florida. He stayed in hotel rooms, had car rides, stroller rides, and plane rides. He went to Disneyland and Disney Springs. He visited the desert and the snow, lakes, rivers, and oceans. He was Vegas casinos and Indian casinos, helping us win on the slot machines. He liked to wear hats and outfits, and, loved going for walks. As he aged, his walks become shorter, and we supplemented with a doggy stroller, which he equally enjoyed. He won a Halloween costume contest dressed as a cheeseburger! He met Santa Claus and completed hiking trails. He loved the dog park where he could sniff butts and lounge around. When we went to Starbucks or McDonald’s he got a pup cup or some French fries.

For all of the work a dog can be, when they’re gone, you’d trade triple of amount of work just to have them back. Miracle was pretty easy to take care of, rarely got sick and when he did, usually a little bit of rice and pumpkin sauce would cure his upset tummy. He had some medication, but took it well, up until the end. Even after losing his vision and hearing, he kept a happy demeanor, wagging his tail, responding to petting and treats. Even the vet was amazed with how well-adjusted he was at his age and with his ailments. He truly lived a full life.

Nothing will ever replace him, nor would we want it to; but I know this pain will pass and become less. The satisfaction we have is that we’ll meet again, and for now, God is taking care of him. I hope his vision and hearing are restored, and he’s hopping around somewhere in heaven, reunited with his siblings. We are grateful for the time we had with him, for all that he gave to us. We will forever miss him and love him.

Our precious little dog, you truly were our Miracle.

May you rest in peace.