Lost my Best Friend

[mkoloc]

Lost my best friend tonight as we helped him transition and I am heartbroken.  Jack has been with us for 16 years and a more loving and loyal heart I have never known. He loved riding in either the 42 GPW or the M37 and especially so if the windshields were folded down.  His eyes were so human, and as I watched them tonight as the vet who came to the house gently helped him transition, I saw love and peacefulness.  It's going to be a restless night and the thought of not having him wake me to go out, or the click of his nails on the wood floors tomorrow morning is going to be overwhelmingly sad.
I have been thru 3 combat tours and have lost friends and comrades but have never felt the sadness and grief I felt tonight .. I will so miss my little soul and his unconditional love ... thank you God for sending such a incredibly loving soul into my life.

[8683jb]

I'm very sorry for you Mark. I know how much you love that little guy.

[Darth_Kitten]

Sorry to hear you lost your buddy, I'm betting he was a good pup!

[coreyelliott]

I'm sorry Mark.  I know you can obviously get through this, but I understand that it won't be easy.  I give you all the support I can.

Corey

[Smadge]

I feel your pain Mark.  They are without a doubt our best friends.

[steve1973]

So Sorry for your loss mark. I know the feeling. I went through it a few years ago.

Steve A.

[brit plumber]

 I feel your pain, RIP Jack. Dogs really are mans best friend.

[mkoloc]

Thank you all for your very kind thoughts and the sharing of your own losses.  I feel like I'm in a fog, but know that this too will pass.  Not really motivated to work on my track right now, and my wife had arranged for a week for all of us in Florida, so that's good timing as it will allow me some reset time. 

I'm going to pick Jacks ashes tomorrow and feel that this will bring some closure as he will be back home.  I still can't quite come to terms with how much grief I feel after all the combat tours and loss of friends over what some would just say is just a pet ... I guess the harder you love someone the harder it is to let go.  I know he's in a better place, but I just so miss the opportunity to scratch his ears, to take him for a ride or to feel him cuddled up with us in bed.  I am and will always be grateful  that his soul shared time with me and that he will always be in my thoughts and prayers.  He gave me so much more that I could ever express and for that I will always be blessed.

God bless you all for your kindness.

Mark

[yd328]

Sorry to hear of your loss, they are so very close to us.

Gary

[spec4don]

Mark so sorry for your loss of your fur kid! Unfortunately God only gives them to us for a short time but they become so much a part of our lives. I can sympathize as we lost two of our fur kids last month one 13 and one 14. Cherish the memories!

Don G.

[mkoloc]

Thank you Gary ... Don I'm so sorry to hear that.  Two in the same month would just devastate me .. God bless you and your family.  We have 1 pup still, Jillian and she is 14, and doing very well ..am already dreading the day, but am so grateful for my time with her, and am going to take every advantage of that.

[WayOffTrack]

I'm still grieving the loss of my 16 yr old buddy last Halloween. Hang in there. At least I have the solace of knowing I rescued him and gave him a great home. His name was also Jack.

[mkoloc]

WOT .. you were certainly on track for rescuing your friend and as you stated giving him a great life.  Special place in the next life for someone who would treat a pup in such a manner.  There is just something about all that unconditional love they share with us.  When I came home from deployments the two pups would just be so incredibly happy and would not let me out of their sight for weeks .. nothing in the world like that feeling!