Monday, March 3, 2008

Double Wammy

I find myself mystified at the news that I have received. A kind gentle soul has left the earth and I can't believe that he is gone.

I have a number of people in my life that I consider friends. Not every one of them do I speak to everyday or even every month. I still consider them friends. These are the people I don't see often, but when I do see them or speak with them, fall into a familiar comfort. We have history together, common interests, and enjoy each others company.

One of the group of people that I spend time with I consider my "dog show" friends. I only see these folks at dog shows and the only thing we have in common is our love of the sport. Kevin was one of those people. We met at a dog show in 2003. We were standing in line to get our dogs measured. I couldn't help notice the dog behind me. Kevins dog looked just like my dog. He and I started talking, and what we found out was that our dogs were brothers. Sam and Rocky were the basis of our friendship.

Kevin was a private person, he didn’t talk much about home, but what he did talk about was his dogs. Whenever I saw him he always had something nice to say. He was a joyous person, enthusiastic about the sport, and LOVED his dogs. Katie was his oldest and she left him just 2 weeks ago at 15 years old. Sam was next, he is 10 and Cooper is the youngest at 6 months. Kevin could be counted on to brighten the day with his latest stories about the dogs. Whether it was Sam’s latest agility accomplishments, Coopers funny antics, or Katie’s grace, he spoke with a full heart when he talked about his pups.

Kevin will be missed by me. Maybe I didn’t know him well. I certainly wouldn’t consider him a close friend. However, I am saddened by this loss.

I can’t help but think about my life and what I might do differently getting this news on top of the news of my friend yesterday. I think the bottom line is enjoy life, exercise, and eat the foods that you enjoy in moderation. One doesn’t know what the day, week, month, or year may bring. But bring it those days will.




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