the passing of the baton.

Reading my previous post and reflecting on that bittersweet day, I am aware of how I left out a lot of little (big) gifts that were given to me. The older I get, more junk seems to come my way. This hard, awful time of ending my relationship with Delsie makes me keenly aware of the good amongst the bad. Just like FA. Full of bad but tons of good. I just need to look or listen or both, look and listen.
A couple of hours before Delsie's last breath, my family and I were sitting together around her in my family room. I plopped myself right next to her on the floor. I needed to be as close to her as possible. This would be a good time to tell you that Delsie wasn't a fan of other dogs-not even Barkley. She bit him when I came home with him after team training. They ignored each other from then on.
Barkley knew something was up. Just as I wouldn't  leave Delsie's side, Barkley didn't want to leave mine.

Barkley got up to walk around the room, getting extra loving from my family. Upon circling around, he moved to Delsie's bed where she gathered enough energy to lift her head and check him out. Barkley stepped on her bed and was inches away from Delsie's raised head and proceeded to give her two big licks on her head. It was at that moment that the conversation in the room ceased. I will never forget the gift that was given to me as I watched Delsie lean into Barkley's licks.
It was as if Barkley told Delsie, "I got this now. I'll take good care of her." The way Delsie leaned into those licks made me believe she said, "I trust you."
The good and bad. Life with FA.
Bittersweet.