[nagdu] A Day Early

[Ann Chiappetta]

That's a great story and your girls are very lucky to have you in their 
lives.
Regards and wags,
Annie & Ro
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Meghan Whalen" <meghan at n-republic.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 6:11 PM
Subject: [nagdu] A Day Early


> I'm going to be gone all day tomorrow, so I wanted to take a moment to 
> write about a very beautiful little girl.  When Kirby and I walk in the 
> door every afternoon, we are greeted by a very joyous little female 
> shepherd.  At six, Jade still wants the harness, but due to a couple of 
> eye conditions, she is going blind and has been retired since she was 
> three and a half.
>
> Even though she cannot physically guide me, she does not need her harness 
> to show me the way.  She helped me to learn to let go because of love. 
> She taught me not to be selfish, and she was the first dog to show me how 
> to glide down the sidewalk.  Though my footsteps are now partnered with 
> Kirby's pawprints, I know Jade is always walking with me, too.
> The panis has stabalized enough that she no longer needs drops, and she 
> can still play fetch.  We bump into each other now and then, but she is no 
> worse for the wear.  She loves her walks, and I know her dreams still 
> involve a harness and a gentle scratch behind the ears.  I do my best to 
> give her the closest to what we had, but unfortunately, she can't go most 
> places now.  All I can do is be sure to let her know how much I love her 
> when I am home.
> Saturday, June 27, 2009 will mark four years since I met this lovely 
> little lady.  This date marks four years since the multi-week cycle of 
> sleepless nights.  This dog surely did not want to be mine at first.  She 
> wanted her trainer, and she had no time for me.  She cried all night and 
> screamed when I took showers without her in the bathroom with me.  She did 
> not eat for four days, and she just about took off my arm when she knew 
> there was a chance she would see her trainer.
>    At 17, I was the youngest in class, and I had the most emotional dog. 
> I was going to have a dog switch, but I insisted that if she could love so 
> much it would all be worth it when she loved me that much.  Well, we made 
> it, and we had 19 wonderful months together.  I couldn't ask for a better 
> dog.  Even though our time was short, we had such a complete bond.  Once 
> we were home, she didn't have her trainer to turn to anymore, and within 
> minutes, she was mine.  On our flight home, she got nervous once, I made 
> her lie right back down, and from then on, I had her sold on the fact that 
> I was there for her as long as she was there for me.  Losing our 
> partnership was a devistating blow, but I will always look back on our 
> short time as a team, and I know for certain that she was exactly the dog 
> I needed.  I know Kirby is exactly the dog I need right now, and the fack 
> that I can sit on the floor with one of them on each side of me is a true 
> representation of my good fortune.  To both of
> my girls, you are my angels, and together, you have taught me that nothing 
> is impossible.  Dreams are tangible, and every end is actually a beautiful 
> new beginning.
>
> Meghan with Jade (June 27, 2005, and Kirby (May 28, 2007)
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