September 14th, 2020

The last couple of weeks have been very hard.  After Hayleigh passed, her fiancé, Keith and us were tasked with looking after her beloved lab, Liam.  She had stated that she wanted Liam to remain with Keith as long as he was okay with it, and if he wanted out, Liam would then be given to us.  Keith chose to hang on to the old guy and for the most part he lived with Keith and eventually Keith's new partner, Brittany.  Liam was a big, sweet, kind old man of 14 when his mom became ill.  He spent his time laying on the floor beside her while she tried to convalesce.  He was the one who was with Hayleigh when she passed - Hayleigh sent everyone else away.  When Keith found Hayleigh, Liam was sitting right beside her, leash dangling.  He wasn't going to leave his momma.  Liam wondered around our house and Keith's and, I would like to believe, was desperately looking for his momma.  When the small neck pendants arrived to put bits of Hayleigh's ashes in, I accidently spilled a very small amount, and Liam went nuts...he was snorting in the dust and looking.  I honestly didn't realize the depth of this dogs ability to smell!  He did the same thing when we put a bit of her ashes in the hole while we were planting a tree for her.  Liam spent the night laying by the tree.  Anyhow, flash-forward to now, and it's been a week since our big old man has crossed the rainbow bridge.  I like to believe I had a visit from his momma two days before his passing - she was letting me know she was coming to get him...this was more than a dream, and it was the second such visit from her.  I knew at that point that Liam's time was coming to an end; we all did.  He stopped eating just after her visit and within two days, he was ready to cross the bridge.  I awoke suddenly at 3:13 on that day and I knew he was gone.  

The next step in our journey will be to scatter the ashes for both Hayleigh and Liam.  It  was her wish that some of her ashes be held until he passed and that they would be scattered together.  I feel his presence, and when I look out over our yard, I can see him coming from Keith's house next door, limping across the grass coming for treats from his Grammy.  I miss both my sweet babies so much, but I know that they are both feeling a great deal of comfort from being together again.  I will see them when I get there...till then, I will hold their memory very dear to my heart!