My dearest friend, companion and source of joy has died and I am bereft.  He was a fluffy, yellow, exhuberent lab named Woody who made me laugh for ten years.  His favorite things in life, besides being with me and my husband, were sticks, tennis balls, swimming, and snow. And if he could combine all of those things - with a stick and a ball in his mouth at the same time while swimming in the middle of winter - he was the happiest being on earth.  



We recently moved to a new house which we chose in part because of its proximity to a great dog park.  Soon after settling in, Woody became ill.  Within a matter of weeks he was undergoing exploratory surgery and spending days in the hospital only to find out that he had late stage lymphoma.  We tried chemo and steroids but nothing worked and after his back legs stopped functioning, we knew it was time to say good-bye.  



I hope that writing about him and sharing his love of life with others will help me deal with this loss.  I will miss his singing along with the fire engine, his smiling and panting when sitting outside after a long walk or swim, his leaning in to give me a kiss after getting to splash around in his favorite brook and his sweet, warm, attentive self who always greeted me with such love and excitement.  He was the light of my life.