For A Friend

Sometimes it's easier to write the things you want to say to someone, than it is to say it to them. Whether it's because you're not sure how your words will affect them, or you want how you feel to be a bit more permanent, writing fills in those gaps that are left between spoken words.  With that said, this post is for a friend of mine, Dani Hunter.

Dani is a kind, gentle, very caring person, mixed with a great sense of humor and a deep well of knowledge on a wide variety of subjects.  One of Dani's best attributes is his love of animals.  All animals are deserving of Dani's love, and he owns several pets; cats, dogs, and even a sugar glider.
Dani's most beloved pet though was his dog, Indee.

I never had the privilege of actually meeting Indee, but have heard many wonderful stories about this happy little Corgi.

Stories of bravery, strength and always smiling, as in this photo from Dani's Facebook page, that's how Dani always spoke of Indee.

You see, Indee was handicapped.  Though he couldn't run and play the way most dogs do, (his two hind legs didn't work), it never made him a sad puppy.  No, he was always there, according to Dani, to help cheer Dani up on his bad days, and to add extra joy and happiness on his good days.

Despite his disabilities, Indee lived a long life, 13 years, spreading his infectious love and sweetness to all who knew him.  Heck, he even spread it to those of us who never met him; I mean, how could anyone resist a smile like that?!

While other pets of Dani's came and went, leaving holes in Dani's heart at their loss, Indee was always there to help with his grieving.

But then this week came that awful day, that day when all the sunshine went out of Dani's world, that day when he'd be grieving the most, with no help of relieving his pain.

At 13 years old, Indee's paralysis had spread to his neck, and was seriously affecting important aspects of his quality of life.  No one wants to see anyone, human, or animal, suffer, so after some deep soul searching, it was with a heavy heart, that Dani made the decision to have his precious fur baby put to sleep.

Knowing that Indee is no longer in pain; that he's in doggy heaven, running, and playing with all the other doggies, doesn't help with the pain of losing a best friend.  I understand this, as do others who have lost a pet. And though Dani has many friends, who care about him, and his well being, we also know it will take some time for Dani to work through this loss.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, sometimes there aren't enough words, or the right words that can be said to help another in their time of need.  Sometimes writing works better for the person trying to help someone.  That's why I've written this post, because even though Dani knows I'm there for him, to listen, to give hugs, and to understand how he feels; this post is something *I* needed to do, for him, to let him know that I really do care.

Rest in peace Indee, and know that you'll never be forgotten, by Dani, and anyone else who's ever heard about you.

A Long-Time Friend

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and STRIKETHROUGH.)


No matter who they are, everyone has had at least one special friend in their life; that person who's always been there, through thick and thin. That person who, though you may not hear from them very often, you still know they're thinking of you, just the way you think of them.

I've never been one for having lots of friends. I prefer having those few friends like I described in the last paragraph. Fortunately, in my life I've had some wonderful friends, those that I think of often, though I don't see or talk with enough, and those I see more frequently. Despite the time spent with, talking, emailing or whatever, each of these friends is special in their own way and will always have a place in my heart.

Marc, Peggy, Geri, Denise, Dani, Pam, Patty, Sandy, and the friend I've known the longest, Diane. There are other friends as well, so hopefully if any of you are reading this, please know, you're not forgotten in my heart; my brain just hiccups sometimes!

Back to Diane. As I said, I've known Diane the longest, since 7th grade at Hockinson Jr. High. We were both the new kids that year, which is part of how we became friends.

Over the years we've shared several experiences. In high school Diane ended up having a frog collection, because of a nickname she was given..."Freddy Froggy" I won't go into all the details here of how the name came to be, because it's a bit complicated.

She was maid of honor at my wedding, and I remember when her first daughter was born. Of course those are two major events that have happened in our lives; there's so many other things we've shared growing up through the years.

Diane has lived in Arizona over the past few years, so we haven't seen each other in awhile, though we do keep in contact on the phone and through Facebook.

Another special thing about Diane is, today happens to be her birthday. Because of that, I decided I should write a blog for her, to CELEBRATE her special day.

So, happy birthday Diane Herz! I hope you have a spectacular day and I'm sure glad you're my friend!