Fred

Name: Fred

Date of Passing: April 25, 2022

Tell us about Fred:

It seems strange to think of Fred as having a beginning and an end. Time, after all, can only measure the manifestation of a soul in a physical body. And what a manifestation it has been!! From the very beginning of his life with us as a rescue, Fred was the most earnest of beings -- committed to living "full out" all day, every day. He became a master of the in-house relay, of joyful jumping, of erudite sniffing, of upholstery shredding (bad boy!!), of compassionate stillness. His "welcome homes" were legendary for their length and intensity. Fred's illness was devastating. But navigating through that journey with him has been a gift.

Back to Fred's soul -- that beautiful, brilliant energy that knows only "now"... I've always thought that souls come into our lives for different reasons. They come as teachers, to help us learn something about ourselves. They come as life partners, to help us grow into the person we were meant to be. And they come as soulmates, to bless us with pure love. For me, Fred came as all of these.

Our physical bodies had to say goodbye. And we are heartbroken. But that love -- the ultimate expression of the soul -- continues. Beyond time. For all time.

Fred came to us as a detour. My son found his picture on an online rescue site, but ultimately decided that a beagle would be a better fit. (She was a wonderful granddog!!) I fell in love with that picture and insisted that Fred be part of our family. (We had never owned a dog -- never even THOUGHT of owning a dog!!) He came to us with his name (it seemed to fit), matted and shy, unfamiliar with toys and very comfortable lying on our cold stone hearth. In his first days with us, I held him for hours -- something I would do with sadness on his last day with us. He gradually came out of his shell, enjoying helping us make our bed, sorting the laundry (and running away with it!!), and carrying socks to their proper drawer. Soon, he went to puppy school. His first "sit/stay/come" lesson saw him bounding down an aisle of PetSmart and covering me with jumps, wiggles and kisses -- a signature greeting that would last his whole life. Fred loved to be part of our family and spent lots of his time just being with us at home, on trips, wherever. His daily routine included one or two walks, which he seemed to time perfectly with his built-in alarm clock!! He loved meeting and greeting (and sniffing) his canine and human friends on the walking paths of our subdivision. The walks with Kacey the Granddog were especially fun, as they would vie with each other to be leader of the pack. They were both great connoisseurs of sticks.

I think Fred was very proud of his appearance -- especially his silky white hair. He would sit and let me brush him, give a gentle massage and some Reiki every day. He was also very proud of his first winter coat and first leash. I felt he felt he had "arrived!"

Fred's tenderness and generosity came through in little things -- like a very light "butterfly kiss" to wake us up in the morning. Just one lick was all it took to get us staring into that eager, intelligent face. During our "tricks and treats" sessions, Fred like to play a game with his bone -- asking me to hide it, and hide it, and hide it!! He'd frequently bring me some of his food.

I noticed that, as Fred grew older, he seemed to enjoy listening to music. I sensed he really enjoyed the Carly Simon songs I'd played for him since he was a puppy. I played these for him as he left us.

Fred was a gift to all who knew him, especially his family. We will miss him forever.