We said good-bye to Byron a week ago today. He fought his best fight against cancer and unfortunately it was time to let him go and rest. He was tired and the last week with him let us know that we had done all we could to make make him better and despite our efforts, it wasn't meant to be.
When Garett and I first got Byron we were told that we would regret our decision to get a Scotty. Said he would be loyal to only one of us and stubborn..just a bad choice for a family dog. That opinion couldn't have been further from the truth!
He was our first "child" and we treated him better than some children ever know. He was extremely loyal to all of us. If one of us was away for the night he would sleep by the door and wait, he loved the boys from the very start and was so tolerant of their pulling and playing with him. So he was a little stubborn, but aren't we all? He was easy to train and minded well enough. If we went camping, Byron went too. Ballgames, he went. Family function, he had a place. It was a given that if we came so did our buddy, Byron. For seven years, he was our only. He was with us in our first home, shared our excitement of my first job, our engagement, our wedding, comforted us when we had bad news or lost other loved ones, romped in the backyard of new home, walked us around the neighborhood, and greeted two baby boys into our home. We had lots of nicknames for him because of his quirky ways...he would moan like the sirens that often went past our house or that we watched at the parade each year, he would suddenly get bursts of energy and take off in a run around the yard or inside around the house and seem to go faster and faster as we chanted.."Fast Byron!", we would sing "B..Y..R..O..N..He is my best friend!" and call him our baby dog as I held him like a baby...he loved life and we loved him! We like to think that he loved us back, unconditionally.
So anyone that has ever had a such a companion can only imagine how saddened we are now that he has passed. I have come home everyday over the past week thinking I needed to let him out, dropped food and wondered why I didn't hear the clicks of his feet coming to retrieve the treat that fell to the floor, come down stairs in the morning to say "good morning Byron" and he not be cuddled up on his pillow...it definitely leaves a huge hole in your heart!
What's even harder is helping Braydon understand the concept of death. I realize he won't have the memories of Byron that Garett and I have, but he and Rhett loved him too. Braydon noticed right away on Monday that Byron was not in his usual spot and, trying to keep my emotions in check, I explained that only God could make him well so God granted Byron his wings so he could live a pain free life in heaven. Tough stuff right there! He cried a hard cry for about ten minutes and commenced to playing. He continues to worry that the rest of us will earn our wings and no longer be around and we continue to reassure him that he need not worry.
We know each and every day it will get easier, but he will never be forgotten. We are not ready to invite another doggy in our home, not because we don't love them, but because we just aren't ready to get attached to another so soon. If only they could live longer...
Garett had bought the boys a "diversion" hamster about two weeks before Byron's passing and that helps distract the boys from the absence of Byron, but that is as far as we are going. That was a good move on Garett's part..the boys love Rookie and gives us all a distraction from the obvious void when we get home each afternoon.
He shared our lives and in subtle ways he will continue to let us know his spirit stays with us. Old habits will be hard to break and the truth is our "dog" is gone. Even though he may be gone, he will always hold a special place in our hearts, will be missed terribly, and will never be forgotten. We will always love our Byron the Siren! He was a best friend....
