In Memory of Shadow
 

Gail and Robert,
I'm so sad to have to tell you that our pretty girl, Shadow, lost her battle with cancer yesterday.  She had a very short remission after her month of chemotherapy, and we were so hopeful that we could buy some extra time with her.  But just two weeks ago, the tumor began to grow again, and when we went for her check-up at the vet, her lymph nodes were very swollen.  We knew that the cancer had found its way around the medicine, and that it would be just a matter of time.  And so we filled her days with love, and licorice, and rides in the car to the beach.  We spent a wonderful, sunny Easter Sunday with a picnic lunch on the beach and both our girls, Shadow and Glady, had the best of days--it will be a forever memory in our hearts, as will the love Shadow gave us all.  We couldn't have asked for a better or more loving friend.  We only wish we could have had more time with her, but realize there was a reason for her to be with us at this time of her life.  I choose to think that maybe one or both of her former "people" (considering the fact that they were very elderly when they gave her up) have recently crossed over to the "other side" or maybe will be going soon, and they need their Shadow to be there with them.  They must have been very special people to have raised such a very special friend, and maybe she is already with them, or will be waiting on the "rainbow bridge" to greet them.  There must be a reason she needed to go. Vince and I were with her yesterday when she went, and our vet came here to put her to sleep, when she began to fail so badly.  I knew yesterday morning when she turned down her favorite treat of black licorice, that the time was coming, and by mid-morning she couldn't get herself down
the hall.  It broke my heart.  And poor little old Glady just lost another good friend, but came in the house with us afterwards and amazingly, she went crazy in our living room, playing a "pack game" with the energy of a puppy, and it was as if she wasn't playing by herself. I know animals have the extra sense that we humans have trouble with, and it surely seemed as if she was playing with her good friends from the other side, and we just couldn't see them through our tears.  She was ecstatic, and couldn't understand why we were so sad when both Shadow and Woof seemed to be right there with us.  We both believe that they were, and that they will forever be in our hearts. You know that we will want to find another forever friend to share our home and lives with, and hope that in time you will be able to help us with this, and I'm sure that both Shadow and Woof will have a paw in choosing our next friend.  You know the kind of friend we'll be looking for, one that loves rides in the car, walks on the beach, sleeping in front of a fireplace in winter with all sorts of cats to hang around with, and one that will like "pack games" with a bossy, old white dog that needs another friend.  It will be hard to find one that could adapt so easily as our Shadow did, but I believe that there is someone out there waiting for us.  Keep us in mind and let us know if there is someone in eastern Washington willing to relocate to Whidbey Island.  We will be going to Washington DC and Virginia (on the train!  a true family adventure) for 2 weeks as soon as school is out in June, so probably don't want to do anything until after that trip, but hopefully by July we'll all be ready.  We were so looking forward to bringing Shadow and Glady to the picnic this summer, (Shadow's favorite thing next to licorice was a full-blown picnic!) but maybe there'll be another friend that wants to come with us, and Shadow and Woof will be there in spirit.

Thank you both so much for your part in bringing Shadow to our lives. She will always be our forever friend.  Michele