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| Max and his boy the first night he joined our family |
In the year 2001, the preacher and I decided it was time to add a dog to our family of 3. Our son had turned 6 that year and we thought he was old enough to help take care of a pet. Our son was so excited to learn of our decision!
The preacher began to search online for a full blooded Labrador Retriever. Our son informed us that his dog was to have yellow hair like his. We already knew what his name would be -- months before our son saw a TJ Maxx sign and asked what it said, after I told him he proclaimed, "Max, that will be my dog's name!" So, with a name and a coat color we began searching. After several weeks, and several interviews with breeders, we found our dog - Max!
Max was born in June of 2001, in Tennessee. The preacher's mother, who lived in Indiana, traveled to Tennessee, picked up Max and then drove down to where we lived, at the time, in Florida. She got to our house around 10:00 at night. We woke up our son to meet his new dog.
Max was the cutest pup I have ever seen. Right away our son and his dog bonded. Max always wanted to be where his boy, our son, was.
Max never tired of our son playing with him. They swam together, took hikes together, they went on vacations together, rode in the car together, and slept in the same room together. Max was the best friend any little boy could have ever wanted.
Max never growled or bit our son or anyone else. He didn't know a stranger. But, I do believe that if anyone tried to hurt either our son or the preacher and I, Max would have protected us in anyway he could.
Max and his boy grew older, but Max was always there for our son. Our son went off to college and Max knew when it was time for him to come home. He would sit looking out the front door, waiting, watching, even when you couldn't see our son's car coming down the road. But soon, within minutes, here would come our son up over the hill. Max knew.
Within the last 6 months, or so, Max' health had begun to go down hill. Several times he would not feel good and would not eat. His hips were beginning to show signs of arthritis and it was so hard for him to get up and down. He seemed to always bounce back, but you knew he wasn't back to normal. He didn't move around very much and spent most of the time sleeping.
Then on Thursday, June 26, our son came into our bedroom, woke us up early, telling us he thought Max was dying. We found him lying on the living room rug, where he always laid. He was laboring so hard to breath. We surrounded him, our son sitting next to him, petting him. He passed away not long after. He passed so peaceful. There was no vet giving him a lethal dose, just his family, just the way it should be.
The house is now quiet. It feels so weird to not see him at our bedroom door in the mornings, waiting there for his mom to be feed him breakfast. Our son, is now in the stages of moving on to his next phase of his life, and so maybe Max knew it was time to go. There has been many tears cried for the loss of our dog (even as I write this the tears are flowing down my cheeks).
I completely believe Max is in heaven now waiting for us to join him someday. He is there with the preacher's mom and dad, and with my dad. I'm sure he is running, swimming and enjoying life in our Father's house. Maybe, sometimes, he looks out the window to see if we're coming yet. When he sees we're not there, he goes back to running, and playing catch, but he knows we'll be there someday.
Max, we love you! Thank you for filling our lives with your love!
Max Smith
June 2001 - June 2014
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