During the night of February 18, 2006, while visiting my daughter in Hawaii, I dreamt of my beloved companion Max. I had never in our entire time together had a dream with him in it nor have I since. In my dream I realized that Max had gotten past the gate in our back yard, and my cat Felix was walking up the driveway - I panicked - trying to hold Max back by his back end when I realized I couldn't stop him from chasing Felix -I remember feeling complete horror as I knew they would run out into the street and possibly get hit by a car. Immediately, the dream ended and I went on to another.
On Monday, February 20, 2006, I received a phone message on my cell (which wasn't charged the entire weekend) saying something had happened to Max and to call home. With my heart pounding, legs weak, I phoned the friend Max was staying with (he went to her house for daily playdates with her girls Jess and Desi) who told me that something bad had happened Saturday (February 18) night - all I could scream over and over was "is Max alive?!?!" it took her forever through her own sobs to tell me that no, Max had been hit by a car on Saturday night and was subsequently euthanized. None of us will ever know how three pups got out of a locked and gated yard - Jessi and Desi ran off to one side and Max ran the other - see, my friend has a cat and in my dream, my sweet, beloved boy was explaining to me that he had indeed chased a cat and that is what had happened.
I have a peace in my heart that Max had a wonderful life, filled with daily playdates, trips to the dog park, treats, tricks and generally being the master of our domain - and that even injured, he didn't suffer (fractured his spine) and that someone he loved dearly (my friend's dad) was with him when he left this world, but it is the loneliness, missing and emptiness that will, for a long time to come, stay in my heart.