We were all set! We had plans to celebrate our one thousandth post and … well.. we were caught up in life and on this, our 1006th post we celebrate 1000 posts here at our present site. 🙂
Through the years you have watched and read about our collie family as it had fun, produced mischief and seen puppies grow and alas, old and not so old collies get called into the afterlife by God. We shared laughter, joy, humorous and funny moments. We’ve seen collies grow, thrive and some like Ginger come into their own unique personality.
We’ve seen the spooky advent of lil Hallie coming less than 24 hours after her grandmother Hallie left this earth and how much they are alike. We’ve seen Mick go from the runt to the biggest collie ever here. The Walter and Rutherford battles, Lad and Smoke rivalries and Lad and his ball, Branwen and her bat Ellie and the scary near tragedy. You’ve learned about Niamh, our greatest collies, MacKenzie our first collie, Skylight our womanizer, Anya our “Mama” and Big Hallie the collie who thought she was a human. Teddy who is a private sort of collie whom we dont write much about because, well, he just doesnt do anything to write about and he likes it that way.
You also journeyed with us through the long decline and passing of our wonderful Trevor forever who not only filled the big paw prints left by Niamh but expanded them in some ways. You watched our tragedies unfold, shared our tears and sadness and watched as my heart broke several times……
You’ve watched us change with the times from a collie family with a strong leadership core to one with .. well who the heck is in charge here? But, you know it will continue to change and move forward. We’ve shared the good, the bad and the ugly with you. The laughter that has rang out, the films of the puppies and others, the joy and wonder of puppies being born, the devastating loss of our beloved collies passing away.
So much has happened. You’ve seen tractors and cars and learned about myself as a person, the good the bad and the ugly. Through it all you’ve sensed and even commented on my sadness that has followed since the loss of Niamh and that has been added too by the loss of others…. There is a joy here at the Meadow that is always there with a certain amount of fatalism and sadness of events in the past and events I know will come……
But, you’ve seen how the collies have taught me to live each moment fully.. relishing, rejoicing and cherishing each moment I have with them…. how they come into my life and make their huge impact and as it comes to and end how I then make an impact upon them and at the end give back to them best I can and in the end am tearfully holding their all too sudden earthly remains…….
We’ve shared so much and experienced so much. As I look back over the years I am truly amazed at how much things have changed here at the Meadow, yet how in a way it hasn’t changed. Myself, I am older, grayer, have less hair and more wrinkles and have found myself being more lenient and more patient and with much more wisdom but realizing that even with all that wisdom I have come to realize how little I actually do know. The collies have taught me that…… they also showed me my mortality and yet….. well… as the years pass I have come to understand that mortality is a gift from God and as the losses pile up in both human and collie souls I come to not fear the end as I once did… in fact in some ways I look to it…. not that I am in a hurry mind you…. but I guess I have accepted it.
I believe God has used the collies as a tool to teach me about love.. unconditional love like God has for us. Oh, what I would give to love like that. I try, but I am miserable at it…. like all people I am a miserable sinner but knowing that deepens my faith. But, the collies have been a gift from God for they are teaching me daily how to live, how to forgive, how to love, how to have faith (especially when they look to me for help as I do to God in so many ways. Finally, through the tears they have taught me how to die…… to do it all cheerfully, honestly, lovingly and to the best of my ability. They have taught me how to receive and how best of all to give. When Trevor passed I had a few regrets, but not many. I felt I had given to him all I could and while it crushed me I didnt sit around thinking “what if I had done this, what if I had only taken time for that.” He died knowing he was deeply loved and that I had taken the time and effort to show my love to him, not by just giving him a treat or a pat on the head, but by spending countless hours cleaning him, carrying him, helping him, holding him, singing to him, and everything else I could think of. Some people asked me why I didnt do him in… but I could look in his eyes and tell he only wanted me to be there with him and to let God call him when it was time. I learned a lot through the journey with Trevor and he passed peacefully in his sleep surrounded by collies and people who loved him. I wouldn’t have done it any different. The peaceful look on his face said it all when I saw him after he passed. He died with dignity….. he died in love… he died knowing his human.. me… loved him and did everything for him he could. He died a happy death… if you can call death happy.
I miss them all…. and while Niamh is our greatest collie who ever lived here… I know she wouldn’t want me to not say what I am about to say…. she was the collie that led endless friends, collies and others into our lives. She was the smartest… so on and so forth I ever knew. Having said that…. how do I say this… Trevor perhaps surpassed her in teaching me about life. Niamh’s life changed me and herself but her death opened up everything…. her life is still echoing here at the Meadow. She was just… in unspeakable ways the collie whose coming to my life was a blessing, he life was a blessing and her death was also a blessing. All through it she opened up doors…. she taught me much. However…. the fulfillment of her coming and leaving was Trevor.
I guess what I am trying to say is that the final touches of her lessons to me were fulfilled in Trevor. Without Niamh I would not have been the human Trevor needed and wanted. We wouldnt have been for she made me who I was at that point. With Trevor I utilized all she taught me and what he taught me and all the other collies taught me and for once in my life felt I truly gave as much as I received.
While I still fall short in many ways as a human and even as the person whom these collies love I do know that I am trying to give at all times my best for them. Its made me a better person….. not a perfect person.. but a better person.
God blesses us each in a deeply personal way to teach us life. Sometimes we get it.. other times we totally miss it. I miss much of it… but the collies have truly been God’s tools in showing me how to become a better person. I see it in their faces when I fail them… I see in them the impact of things I know I did during the day to others that are sins. Its amazing how it smacks me in the face some days seeing them do to each other something I may have done earlier in the day and how if I dont get it it will keep happening until I do recognize it.
So, on our 1006th post where we celebrate our going over a thousand posts we want to say THANK YOU to all of you who read our humble little blog, who comment or write us or even decide to take a chance and befriend us. We love you all and we hope you will continue to join us in our future. We can’t promise anything but more insanity, craziness, joy, tears, heartbreak and the rantings of some crazy old guy whom Ginger will put to sleep if she ever takes over the world…….
To my Niamh…. the greatest collie I ever knew….
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To Trevor who fulfilled all that Niamh started…
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To Hallie who knew she was a human……
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and finally to each of my collies whom I have loved deeply, each of which has gifted me with something priceless and each of who has or will pass way too quickly through my life…..
I LOVE YOU my collies….. thank you….. I truly believe the following will happen someday….
“I wonder if it is heretical to believe that when at last my tired feet shall tread the Other Shore, a madly welcoming swirl of exultant collies—the splendid Sunnybank dogs that have been my chums here—will bound forward, circling and barking around me, to lead me Home!”
Albert Payson Terhune
So many collies. So many memories. Maybe I should grow my hair long and come play with all the collies.
Congratulations on 1000+ posts, Chuck. While you learned from the collies, we all learned from you. Thanks. xo
Congratulations, Chuck! I hope you post a 1000 more! The collies, through your writing, have touched a lot of lives. In this particular time in my life, what you say in this post is why I am so grateful to have found you and the collies.
Congrats on your 1000th/1006th post! I’m a relatively new follower but I’ve really enjoyed your blog with all your beautiful collies.
For every time there is a season
Congratulations Chuck! I have come to know all of your beautiful collies through your wonderful blog. Here’s to the next 1,000 posts! 🙂