Saturday, May 11, 2013

Cora: July 2006 - May 2013

It doesn't escape me the irony of an early thought: in writing the article for Focus on Life: Hope I wanted to write about Cora and the hope I had she'll be OK... then I didn't put that on the 'paper'... maybe inside I knew the only hope was to have a painless end...

We first had Brondi, our first German Shepard. She has been an amazing dog - truly incredible. When she left us way too soon we first thought there will be no more dogs. But William was young and a couple of years after we realized there is no point in depriving him from the unique love of humans' best friend just because we were still feeling pain. So we started to look for the next family addition - vowing first it will not be a German Shepard. The more we browsed the internet for dogs - the more it became clear that we are, indeed, one-breed people. A visit to a breeder close-by and this little cute puppy was the only one in the litter that followed us around. She had a small 'defect' at the corner of her left eye which the breeder (and later the vet) offered to remove it. We never allowed it - she was unique that way, and very cute looking even when she grew older - and a few weeks after she came to live with us, our beloved Cora.

Cora, beloved German Shepard, part of the family forever :: All Pretty Things
Soon we discovered she thinks of William as her own brother (he was just 3 at the time) and their playfulness was truly contagious. As she grew - she started to guard him (and us, but he was always #1) with the atrocity only love gives one. She hated the postman with passion (I've never seen a dog hating the postman that badly) and let them all know, no matter how often they changed. But she loved us - and she was always ready to give us a kiss, to play, to join us traveling.

She has been sick for a while - fortunately not something to make her uncomfortable (or not for too long), just an illness that had no real cure, no guarantees to ever get better (an immune system issue), one that would make her have more ear infections than the child had. We knew it's just a matter of enjoying her love for us much as possible, we knew it's going to be a day when all this would end, we were just praying to be as far as possible - and that's all God had granted us with her: almost 7 years.

She entered our lives in September 2006 and she left this world yesterday, May 10th, 2013.

It is hard - the house is quieter now (Lucky, the chocolate lab is not vocal at all, she's quite surprised at the quiet too!). There is nobody telling the squirrels to get off. There is nobody to check the door or to argue about who is allowed to cross our yard or not.

Cora, beloved German Shepard, part of the family forever :: All Pretty Things
Always ready to open gifts on Christmas day - but very politely waiting for everyone
to open theirs before she would get her bone and chew it. 
But there are and always will be the memories of Cora: our brave and beautiful and loving friend.

Cora, beloved German Shepard, part of the family forever :: All Pretty Things
Watching royally over her kingdom from her favourite spot: the living room armchair:
she barely fit in it, but she would jump on every time she could!
The pain is still raw - we just hope (see, there is still hope) she's now running across the grass of heavens along Brondi and Ferdi and they share memories of our family as they all knew it at different times.

Cora, beloved German Shepard, part of the family forever :: All Pretty Things
Loving us dearly every moment of her life: we hope she knew we loved her back!
RIP, Cora, you have been a wonderful part of our family!
May you rest in peace loving friend, we cherish every moment we have been granted together and we will remember you forever. You have touched our lives and we hope you know it!

P.S. To match our moods as soon as I got home from the vet yesterday the sky literary opened and rain poured hard for a long time. Tears from heaven?

10 comments:

  1. N-am cuvinte.
    Cred că tuturor vă e greu şi sper ca într-adevăr ea RIP. Şi , mai ştii, poate chiar cerul şi-a trimis lacrimile , să vă aline cât de cât.
    Mie , de aici, chiar dacă n-am cunoscut-o, şi tot mi-e foarte greu; aşa că pentru voi o să mă rog la Doamne-Doamne să vă ajute să rezistaţi şi acestei încercări.
    mama.

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  2. Oh, Alicia - I am so sorry for your loss! You wrote a wonderful tribute to Cora. My thoughts are with you and the family.

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  3. I am so so sorry for your family's loss, Alicia. I will keep you all in my warmest thoughts.

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  4. Alicia, you had a wonderful time in the 7 years you walked in tandem with your Cora. Thinking of you and understanding the pain. Been there too.... take care.

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  5. Oh Alicia! I am so deeply sorry ... we lost our Cleo 3, almost 4 years ago and it still feels like yesterday to me. I know how much our fur babies are a part of our families. Good for you for giving Cora a beautifully, lovely home.

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  6. Thank you, ladies: for your warm thoughts and sentiments, they are appreciated. You're all right - we're focusing on the lovely moments we've had together and take it one Cora-less day at a time.

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  7. my eyes are filled with tears as I read about your sweet Cora Miss Alicia...what a beautiful girl with a soul to match...I'm so sorry for your loss and I'm sure William must be missing his little sister too....Nala & I are sending hugs & puppy dog kisses....xox

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  8. I can imagine how your hearts are missing beautiful Cora. Dogs really are our best friends and they seem to fill such a big spot in our life. She most certainly knows how much she was cherished by your family. Words cannot express how sad I feel for you and your loss. You will cherish your memories of the 7 short years she spent loving and protecting you.

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  9. Alicia so sorry for the loss of your beloved Cora. Pets are such an integral part of our family and the loss is just as great. We lost our cocker spaniel Lady four years ago while we were moving our daughter into her college dorm. The loss still makes me cry today. Your pet was loved and she knew it!

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  10. Alicia I am sorry to hear that you lost Cora. Dogs really are a part of our families. I lost my dog Frank Easter morning. Even though he seldom barked The house is much quieter.

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