26 April 2020 – Deathday of Stephan Sassafras Snow – our beloved family dog for 15 years. He would have been 16 (or 17?) in August.
My husband Chuck is a dog guy. I had a toy collie growing up, but never one as an adult. I couldn’t imagine training or taking care of a dog, but I woke up one day with the idea that we should have a dog about the house. Our girl was 7 at the time & very sensitive, so no overly active, jumpy, loud barky dogs for us. We went to a few shelters; we even found one we liked, but it didn’t happen. So I thought ok, well it is not meant to be. We already had 2 white cats, Milky & Kefir who we loved from the shelter. Milky let the girl terrorize her, & Kefir was like my pup following me around everywhere.
Months went by & then a friend of a friend of Chuck’s, a fellow warrior dude (mankind project) had died & his caretaker was looking for someone to take his puppy. We went over to meet him, & he just sat there looking timid & a bit depressed. He was so beautiful, white like the cats, with sandy colored ears. I immediately fell in love. His owner had named him Snowy after the cartoon character in The Adventures of Tintin. In retrospect he looked a lot like my childhood dog Penny. We took him out to the park across the street since it seemed he had been kept in much of the time. He ran like the wind & won us over with his smiley face & calm demeanor. The girl even liked him. So the white dog came home to join our 2 white cats, who never really got used to him being in their house, it was like Wild Kingdom’ around here, always a lively show.
When we took him to the vet they said he had a degenerative eye disease & that he would eventually go blind. We were to put drops in his eyes 3 times day. But as soon as we started to feed him raw food (Chuck would butcher a whole organic chicken for him every week, along with veggie scraps!) his eyes completely cleared up & he never had another problem.
Somehow he loved me best, & became ‘my dog’ following me around, nudging me for love, sometimes he wouldn’t go for a walk unless I took him. I looked forward to taking him out 3 times a day. I used that time to meditate on the changing seasons & get to know my neighbors for the 1st time.
He was always at my side, sitting next to me as I wrote, & I would take him everywhere if I could. As time went on he really learned to play me, asking to go out back, or on the front porch – let the dog in, let the dog out, sheesh, it was a full time job.
The last 6 months or so he became incontinent, so we got him doggie diapers. He still wanted to eat & take walks & everything, so we went along. Then he became a bag of bones, stopped being able to go up & down the stairs & the decline became more evident every day. A few times we thought he was done for, but when I asked him if he was ready to go to the ‘group soul’ he would rally, so we hung on.
I will spare you all the details, but today, after having a week of dreary wet weather, the sun came out & Snowy made his way to doggie heaven. We buried him in the backyard next to the 2 cats & Chuck’s old dog Hoover…
Tonight we will make a bonfire & gather to celebrate his life. So many Snowy stories…my eyes hurt from all the salty tears, but our family is unified after many thoughtful conversations, feeling the blessings from the Animal World which we so gratefully received thru our dear Snowy…
God – Dog – God – Dog – God – Dog
thank you for sharing. I love this post about your dog, family, etc.
Thanks, we’re still grieving, but glad we had so many good years…
Thanks for tuning in
xox
Hi Hazel,
I had a “God Dog” who died last year at the age of twelve. She has a brother born out of the same litter who is still here and misses her every day. I think her passing had a lot to do with my own slump into a kind of malaise, which lasted for some 12 weeks. Her name was Brooklyn, and her brother’s name is Bronx. You see, these were my daughter’s dogs who were given to me when she moved to Houston in 2009. They are dachsunds.
Don’t let this get you into a slump. I know about that. Just know that we know about what it means to lose someone like this. To have someone underfoot and then gone in a moment takes some getting used to. I know that myself, and especially with the writing. Now, we will always miss it; right? Yet, I love the fact that you buried him in the backyard. Mine went to the vet when she was suffering, and we determined to put her to sleep. We had her cremated with her remains deposited into ‘doggy heaven’, but I much admire your gesture as well.
Kind regards,
Steve
Some folks have mentioned something to the effect that a domesticated animal who is deeply loved,
does not go back to the group soul but becomes a sort of fire spirit of ‘Salamander’ who stays with the human being & evolves with them,
with the possibility of becoming human in the Jupiter stage…Have you heard of this?
Well I know my dogs were loved like humans. My former dog, Betsy, a kind of heinz 57 black and white cocker spaniel lived 16 years! She died in 2007. Now, that dog was my dog. Never left my side. So, I can see something in this evolution from animal to human form. Steiner spoke, I think it was in “Michaelmas and the Soul Forces of Man”, about how we can save an elementary spirit from being devoured by Ahriman and come out of its trance toward higher consciousness just by appreciating its being a part of our own assimilation process. Awareness is the key. The charm is dissolved.
Yes, i am familiar with that lecture series.
my friend sited “World Ether-Elemental Beings-Kingdoms of Nature” compiled by Ernst Hagemann,
using indications from Steiner, which say that the reason that they’re sometimes becoming salamanders is that since Gomes are related to the physical body/earth, Undines-water/etheric body, Sylphs-air/astral body, salamanders-ego/fire (as you know the ego works in our blood’s warmth). I think you can see the logic here. Also gnomes-are created by angels, Undines-by archangel, Sylphs-by Archai, salamanders-by Exusiai ( the Exusiai also gave us our egos (Jehovah one of the Elohim-Exusiai to Adam and Eve. The salamanders ( from pets) don’t really have egos , (since human ego requires incarnation)but have ego-like qualities. Just how this will develop on future Jupiter is something to ponder.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Hazel. Our canine companions give us such unconditional love and loyalty. It’s been about two years and we still miss our Ellway.
Yes, a real part of the family
xox
Hazel, Thank you for sharing your story about Snowy, it is very moving and brings forth much love for all creatures great and small. We mourn with you, and this evokes my own memories of four-legged companions in my past.
Thanks brother M, i would have never guessed the grief would be this deep.
Our family took a day trip today to the Indiana Dunes where he loved to run.
I heard you were in a break out group with Ultra…
so perfect that you two should finally meet.
Thanks for holding us in your thoughts
Thank you for telling some of Snowy’s story with you.
Beautiful dog.
Kerri (Australia)
He was a character. We sat around last night telling stories. It was hard to get up today with out him.
What a powerful impact the animal world has upon us. Such a blessing
Thanks for holding me in your good thoughts
SNOWY! God dog indeed. 1 of only 2 dogs I ever connected with. A cool dude 2 hang with & a music lover. Dog, u left a big empty space behind.
You were there for him over the years…part of the family
thanks for coming to his celebration last night
xox
Very heartwarming with a touch of sadness. Thank you. Blessings to you and Snowy.
Yes, I am living into it…xox
Beautiful story. Peace on Snowy’s soul. Thank you so much for sharing.
Greetings dear Sophie – thank you for your thoughts & good wishes. boy i never realized that i would mnourn a pet dso deeply.
I think of you often when i work with the Calendar of the Soul.
Blessings
Snowy would hang out on the porch and bark saying hi when we drove up or came out. He’d smile in response when we’d drive by and holler our to him, or when we’d run over and wave., or when we’d sometimes stop and get some Snowy lov’in. We will miss our porch interactions, seeing him walk Hazel (Snowy always decided the route), and We will forever not be able to walk Apollo by the house without him running up the walkway looking for him. He will be missed and he will always be in our hearts?
Yes, he ruled that porch, he was the mayor of the neighborhood!
& Mitzi loved him, even though she didn’t like other dogs.
Remember when they were both young & we would take the to the empty lot & they would run around & then stop & eat grass like a couple of cows…
sigh…
Love you guys
xox
I’m so sorry about your dog. Thank you for all the stories you share including this one of your beautiful SS Snow.
Thanks Linda – He was a treasure.
We are aching.
We will go today for a nice hike as a family at the Indiana Dunes & think of him
xox