It’s been a year

My sunshine Frida,

It’s been a year since you left this world. We had such a hard time dealing with the reality that you were gone forever. The house was so sad without your noisy self. But we never second guessed the decisions we made, and we know that you are in a much better place, where cancer cannot hurt you anymore.

We were so happy that you sent a signal on Christmas day 2015! It made us feel that you were fine, and we felt your love. We want to thank you for
sending another cloud signal a few weeks ago. I didn’t have my phone handy, but we clearly saw it.

Life has been good here. Do you remember my PJ that had a moose? The one that Mark would joke that we were “The adventures of Moosey and the Grey  girl”? Well, I turned it into a cushion that now rests on the bay window, in our bedroom. Your memorial is on the shelf, I see your picture everyday and today there’s a candle. Your favourite toys (Monkey, the ball, and Lamby) are on a shelf in my office. And our family picture is on my desk, and on Mark’s screen saver.

You know it, I cannot hide it . We still cry for you. We miss you. We wonder why you had to leave us so soon. We still remember your loud barking, your beautiful eyes and your loving soul. We go places and we talk about you. There are memories everywhere. We always wish you could have stayed longer. We wanted so much to have you around us for a longer time.

After you left we were so sad. But you know what? You left a legacy of love and friends. We found support in so many great friends, and through your disease I met good people who today remain in my life.  You made our hearts bigger, so today there are two dogs in our house!! Can you believe it?  Maya and Bailey are with us now.  We will try to give them a good life. They weren’t as privileged as you were, but they are with us, safe, loved and happy.

My sunshine, a  year ago we were at the vet helping you to cross the Rainbow Bridge. Today we were there to get stuff for Bailey and Maya. I think that means that life goes on, that we will always remember you, but that we have to move forward and keep this roller coaster moving.

My beloved Frida, you are where you belong: in our hearts. We will never forget you. You will always be the bravest of the brave, the schnauzer that came to teach us about love, about courage. You were a small dog, but your spirit was so big that touched our lives in a way that you will never know!  We love you to the moon and back, words will never be enough to express how much you meant to Mark and me.  But we do know that one day, we will be together again.  Until that day comes, we will remember you.

With love,

Your human parents, Veronica & Mark

“What you have once enjoyed you can never lose…All that we love deeply becomes a part of us”~ Hellen Keller

Frida arrives to our life

Frida arrived to our lives in July 2009.  Mark and I had been married for a year, I had been living in Canada for a year and I really, really wanted a dog. Finally it was decided that a dog would be a great addition to our lives (Honestly, I was the one pushing the idea)  I have always loved dogs, and this seemed the perfect time to have our own dog, our first dog as adults! .

Her first day at home

So tiny and black.

At Steveston, BC

Her first “haircut”

After doing some research we agreed that a schnauzer was our breed of choice.  And we were lucky to find a nice family from Colombia, who had decided to “live the experience” of their family dog having puppies. Yes, totally unorthodox from us, considering there is adoption, and puppy mills horrors, and things like that. But we met them at their place, they were nice people who loved their Lulu schnauzer.  And right there, playing around puppies in their garden, I made eye contact with the most beautiful puppy face I had seen in my life. We originally wanted a male, (Mark’s request) but I fell in love with that female puppy and we decided to get her.  She chose us to be her family.  And I named her Frida, after the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, after all, I am Mexican, she had Mexican roots (Her mom Lulu was Colombian and her dad, Oscar, was Mexican!) and I thought it was a great name for her.

That all happened almost 6 years ago.  We have had a tough road with Frida, especially because after her first year we discovered that she has a terrible allergic reaction to bees/insects sting.  She went into anaphylactic shock in the park, after being stung by some insect. She almost died!  She made it, and after that, our summers are full of care and an Epipen in my purse all the time (that we have used two more times!)  Besides that, she has been quite healthy and mostly, a happy dog!