Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A Memorial Post For Mika


Photo by Keira

Recently, my seven year old dog, Mika, passed away. She was almost eight when she passed. Her middle name was Mickey. She was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which is a breed of dog. Some of her favorite hobbies were fetching rocks on the beach, cuddling, walking, and, most of all, resting.

You could often find Mika cuddling up to Eva, my stepmom. Eva has had Mika since Mika was a puppy and Mika has always loved Eva. One result of that strong love for Eva is when Eva went away to work, Mika always whined near the garage door for a minute or two. After she was done with her sad song, she would go and cuddle up to her second favorite person, me. If you had her full attention, you could open up your legs as wide as you could and she run to you and lay down on you. Sometimes if you did that and she misunderstood you, she would sprint to you and rub her eyeball on you.

Photo by Eva

This is Mika (left) and Pokie cuddling up together on a little dog bed. Pokie was in Mika's first litter of five litters, so Pokie was her first child. Pokie was the only child in the first litter. As you can see, they look very much alike. The only way you can tell them apart is that Pokie has a white stripe down her belly. Mika was very protective over Pokie. For example, if anyone that was a stranger got too close to Pokie, Mika would bark and bark and bark until we asked her to stop barking. Pokie and Mika were always close together because they were almost always resting. I think that Mika was so protective over Pokie because they spent a lot of time together and Pokie was also her first born.

Photo by Eva
Mika could sometimes be found bathing in the sunlight that was streaming in through the windows. I don't know why she liked the sun so much, I can only guess. Maybe it was because she thought that the sun felt good, or may be it was because the sun relaxed her. In this photograph, you can see Mika sitting in the little bit of sunlight that was left in a room. If you look at her snout that is in the sun, you can see her whiskers growing off of the sides of her mouth. It kind of looks like she was posing for the picture. I think that she just wanted to be famous.

Photo by Casey (My dad)
This is a picture of Mika doing what she loves most, relaxing, being with Eva, and bathing in the sun. She had this lucky moment on Eva's lap in the car. If you look closely at Mika's face, her eyes are closed and she is probably dreaming that she is sitting in a meadow in the sunlight with Eva. Mika is probably saying, "What an amazing meadow! Just sniff those dark purple flowers all around you! They smell wonderful and they are my favorite color! Now I am going to sleep on Eva's lap. Goodbye." I think that was probably what she was barking excitedly about in her dream.

I am so sad that Mika left this world, but I know that every single moment of the day she is watching over me wanting me to celebrate her life. So, for Mika, I wrote this post to celebrate her life.

Have you ever had any pets that have passed away?

Do you have or had any pets?

What are or were your pet's favorite activities?



By the way, I did the color of Mika's fur for the first question, her favorite color for the second question, and the color of the sun for the third question.


12 comments:

  1. @ Keira,

    What a beautiful tribute to you pal, Mika. :-( It is very hard to lose a pet; they are like family members.

    I have had many lovely pets throughout my life. As a young girl, my family had three dogs. Their names were Benjamin Franklin, Vern, and Gus. All of them were mutts which means that they were mixed breeds. As you know, I have a Labrador retriever named Buck. Out of all the dogs I've had, he is the funniest. If you don't believe me, check out Buck on the 365.

    I also had a cat about ten years ago. He was a beautiful feline named Sam. Although I thought I could never love a cat as much as I loved a dog, I was wrong. Sam was a true friend and used to greet me at the front door when I would get home from work. Sam lived to a full age of nearly 18 years! I have a picture of Sam next to my bed, and I have very fond memories of him.

    I loved the picture of Mika sitting on your dad's lap.

    Your proud teacher,
    Mrs. Y♥llis

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    1. @Mrs. Yollis,

      I do concur that it is very hard to lose a pet, they are like family members. When I lost Mika, I cried and cried and cried and cried and cried but then Eva said, "Mika would want us to celebrate her life, not cry over it." I thought that was a very wise quote and stopped crying. Ever since then, when I think about Mika, I get a little sad, but I remember that Mika would want me to celebrate her life, not cry over it.

      What did Benjamin Franklin, Vern, Gus, and Sam look like? I know Sam would look different than the dogs, and the dogs would look different than Sam.

      My favorite pictures in the post were all of them. They all gave me very fond memories of Mika. I do like the picture of Mika sitting on Eva's lap though. Why did you like the picture of Mika sitting on Eva's lap the most?

      Sincerely,
      Keira

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    2. @ Keira,

      Thank you for responding to me! You are an excellent blogger!

      You asked about my dogs. Benjamin Franklin was a cocker spaniel mix. He was a small dog who really favored my mom. Vern was a black Labrador mix, and he was my dog. Although he was a beauty, he was not very smart. During obedience class, he barked and barked at a kite in a tree. I loved him just the same. Finally, Gus was my brother's dog. He was an Alaskan malamute and German Shepard mix. He was a big dog who liked to pull lemons off our lemon tree because he thought they looked like toy balls. The vet had us stop him as the acid in the lemons were bad for his teeth.

      I liked the photo of Mika on Eva's lap because it is so cute and unusual.

      Your dog-loving teacher,
      Mrs. Y♥llis

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  2. Aloha Keira,
    I loved reading your post even though it was about loosing your friend Mika. You filled your story with special moments allowing us to get to know her and understand why she was so important to you and your family.

    In my life I have had seven girls, all English Springer Spaniels. I lost Fanny on November 4, 2012 at the age of sixteen and a half. I thought I would never want another dog but all of that changed when a local shelter asked my husband and I to foster a mixed breed male named Tommy. Tommy is two and has had a hard life but he is so full of love and so happy all of the time I couldn't say no. I am so thankful Tommy is a part of my life.

    Once again, mahalo for your wonderful writing and sharing your story.
    A hui hou,
    Mrs. Jacobs

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    Replies
    1. Dear Mrs. Jacobs,

      Your comment just shows us that even though sometimes we feel like we can not go on without the ones we love when they are lost, we heal from our cuts.

      Seven dogs! Amazing! I only have three now that Mika is gone, but I care for them as much as you care for Tommy.

      Did you adopt your seven dogs, or did you breed them?

      Sincerely,
      Keira

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  3. Keira,
    I loved reading your post. You described Mika so beautifully! I felt like I really knew her by the end of the post. My eyes got teary because I have three dogs myself. They are dachshunds. Shadow is 15, Gracie is 14, and Moose is 5. I know it is very hard to say goodbye to a pet. They are such a part of our lives! I like the poem "The Rainbow Bridge". When a pet passes, I think it helps us remember their love and to be happy that they are free from any pain. Thank you for sharing.
    -Melanie

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  4. Hello Keira,

    It is seldom I have read such a touching tribute to a small member of a family. Our pets become such an important part of family life and are so deeply missed when they pass. Mika’s photos show us she was an incredible dog.
    Why do we come to love our furry friends so much? They don’t complain to us, argue with us or judge us. They simply want to be with us and we with them

    Have I ever had any pets that passed away?
    Yes, in my life I have owned a number of dogs and birds as well as one cat. I was also a carer for a young orphaned kangaroo until I could deliver her to a zoo. While they have all gone, I have some wonderful memories and photos of many of them.

    What are or were your pet’s favourite activities?
    One special pet I had was a galah. She was a pink, white and grey parrot we have native in Australia. When I first met her, she bit my finger. While she was holding on to my finger, I looked closely at her and asked if she was finished yet. She let go and never bit me again. She would come up to me, raise her crest of feathers and wait to get a scratch on her head. I called her “Squirrel” because that’s the sound she made when she saw me. :)

    Some nights you might dream of once again being with Mika. You’ll remember the friend and companion she was and wake perhaps thinking of her. You might ask if it was a dream but it might just have been Mika’s way of visiting you to remind you she is still there in your memories.

    Ross Mannell
    Teacher (retired), N.S.W., Australia

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  5. Hi Keira,
    What an awesome tribute to your dog Mika. As I was reading about her I kept getting reminded of my dog Maddy. Maddy loves laying in the sun. Sometimes when she is in the house she will find the smallest square of sunlight on the floor and lay there. She is 5 years old right now and would probably have loved to play with Mika.
    Just know that Mika had a great life because you and your family loved her so much.

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  6. Hello Keira,
    My name is Maeghan, and I am currently a college student studying to become a teacher! My class is in the middle of a lesson about the importance of leaving comments on blog posts, which is how I came across your wonderful tribute.
    Your writing about Mika is absolutely beautiful! I love the amount of detail and information you put into this post. I makes those of us reading who did not know her, feel as if we actually did!
    I must say I am sorry to hear that Mika passed away, which was the cause of this post. I know how hard it is to lose a pet, especially one you spend so much time with and care about as much as you clearly did for Mika. One of my dogs, whose name was Whitley, just passed away a few months ago. I was away at school, and that news was very hard for me to hear. I like to remember that though I miss Whitley terribly, he is no longer sick, as he was in the last few years that he was still around. I hope that your family is around to give you love and support in this sad time.
    I encourage you to continue writing about things that you care about. Your passion and emotion really comes out as you write, and it allows the readers to really get insight into how you feel and what you think.
    Yours truly,
    Maeghan

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  7. Hi Keira,

    Auntie Erin here! I loved reading your story about Mika. You write beautifully and have wonderful thoughts! I had a cat named Ernie who was very special to me, and after a long life he passed away. I have lost people I love too, and I know that even though it hurts, it is so wonderful to have loved like that. When we open up and allow pets into our hearts we allow ourselves the gift of loving, which is what I believe we humans are here to do. When I lose someone, pet or person, I may be sad, but it gets better. We can help each other get through it, and that makes more love!
    Thank you for allowing me the privilege of reading your stories, this is my first blog, so today you taught me something!
    Love,
    Auntie Erin

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  8. Hi Keira,

    Eva just told me about your blog, and I rushed over to take a peek. What a wonderful tribute you've written about a very special dog, a strong personality in your household. Although we had some time to prepare for the worst case scenario after Mika got sick, I could hardly believe the sad news when I heard that her time had come. Thank you for sharing this post- your pictures and stories have brought back some great memories.

    In between playtime with Penelope, I've been busy planting in the cutting garden and bringing the first flowers inside. So many sweet peas and I've even spotted the first dahlia buds! How are the flowers looking in California? I'd love to see what's growing in your garden :)

    Lots of love from Belgium,
    Auntie Em

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  9. Hi Keira,

    Just your old Dad passing through here! I read your post again and then scrolled through all of the wonderful responses. It began to make me think about how impactful loved ones are to us throughout our lives and continue to be even after they have passed on.

    I often reflect on the people and pets that have been in my life. They have passed on so many special memories and valuable life lessons. This always makes me sad as I miss them but I always return to my happy self because of the gift of knowing them. Always remember the tears you cry at the time of loss will eventually over time slowly turn into smiles.

    I love you little one.....and all of my pets and significant ones I still remember.

    Love,

    Dad

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