Going through my life eBay auction by eBay auction is an interesting process. It brings up all sorts of thoughts and feelings. And as I list one thing after another, I begin to realize more and more how attached my memories are to my possessions and how each item is a part of my being...a part of my soul.
Now, there are a lot of television shows out there that make this process look rather easy. The host shows up at your door and after much haggling(and within the televised time span of an hour), your entire life has been organized, your walls painted and brand new furnishings have arrived to decorate your once messy home. Everyone looks happy at the end.....well....most of the time... and the only emotions you see are the ones the editor and director thought were entertainment worthy. What they don't show you is the commitment you have to your things, no matter how much you have or in what condition. Your things are part of your life and as you crack away at each piece, you see who you were and what you have become.
It would not shock anyone that knew me to find out that I am an animal lover. I can't think of anything living that I will not aid and not care for. Doesn't matter if it's furry or slimy, I believe everything has a right to a peaceful life on our planet. If you had asked me in my 10 years ago if I would ever give up one of my pets, I would have pleaded a loud NO! But then, 10 years ago, I had no way of knowing what would happen in the future.
Life often changes and throws you curves that you are never ready for. Back in 2003, we were happily living in a home we owned in West Hills, CA with our cats and our dogs. Life was comfortable, not without stress, but every life has stress of some sort. And we, my husband, my daughter and I, had our pets. Pets are a big part of life. My tiny family is the only family each of us have, so we have fleshed it out over the years with lots of furry relatives. Our cats and dogs were and are our family and we respect each one as an individual.
Without going through the series of unfortunate events that occurred after 2003, let's say that we were on the path to loosing everything. By 2007, we had moved four times. By 2008, we had to move again, only this time we could not find a place that would take our cats and our dog.......
Maggie came into our life after our dog, Sundance, had passed away from lymphoma. Sundance was a magnificent dog and very different from Maggie. Sundance had taken his life as a dog seriously. He was a coyote hunter, a cat protector and an avid runner. Sundance ran with us every morning of his life.....a trait that Maggie continued, but on a different scale.
Maggie had been born into a litter of pups where she was the odd dog out. All the other puppies looked like labs, but Maggie.........well she just looked like....Maggie. Kind of a cross between a Shepherd, a Golden Retriever and possibly an Afghan, Maggie looked like no breed known to man. When I first saw her, the owner of her mother referred to her as "the ugly one", but I saw nothing ugly about the then shy pup. I adopted Maggie, took her home and the journey began.
Maggie was one happy dog. Not always the brightest dog, but a happy one and she went through life with sheer glee. She ran, she jumped, she bounced! She was just Maggie. And she loved us and she loved the cats. Her biggest joy, also, was to run with us in the morning. She would bound out the door, onto the sidewalk(or trail) and run as fast as she could, sometimes dragging my husband Paul with her. Maggie was just happy being with us. And we were happy being with her......
By 2008, we had to move again. We looked and looked for places, but for some reason, this time, we could not find a landlord who would take the cats and Maggie. It didn't seem to matter that Maggie wasn't a destructive dog(I don't think she chewed anything but rawhide bone in her life). She wasn't a loud dog(guarding was not a top priority with her). She was housebroken(inside the house---never!) No Maggie's only fault was that her owners had 4 cats and a dog and could not afford to pay for all. And as for landlords who did not charge pet fees......well it was either the cats or the dogs and many preferred the cats. And so, I found myself in the middle of Rachel's Choice and had to find a home for my beloved Maggie.
I have often heard that angels watch over fools and pets and angels must have been watching over Maggie. My daughter put a notice online and a friend of hers graciously gave Maggie a temporary home. And what a home she had! Maggie had hills to climb, dogs to play with and even had cats to call her own. She was in her own doggie heaven and I thought she would only be there until we could find a place that would allow her back into our lives.
But, as I often say, you should never assume anything, and recently I learned that Maggie's caretaker has moved to Washington state, taking Maggie with him. I would have liked to have said goodbye, but Maggie was already frolicking around the Pacific Northwest when I learned about her departure. I know I did the right thing and I know she's one happy pup(she gets to hike every weekend...what more could a dog want), but I miss Maggie. Running isn't the same without Maggie. Life isn't the same without Maggie.
With every dog inspired item I list comes a little history. Every item is linked with some dog that I shared my life with at one time or another and I miss each and every one of those dear creatures greatly. In the wide spectrum of our lives, we only share a tiny bit of it with our beloved pets. We are only given brief moments and, like people, we never really know when or if we will ever see them again. They should always be cherished like the jewels they are, because our pets, like our family and friends, are not replaceable. And the things that remind us of our beloved pets? Well, those are just things and can never replace the ones we love.
As I write this, I am listing Maggie inspired items on eBay. To see my "I'm Selling My Life on Ebay Project" go to: http://stores.ebay.com/Mabelmaes-attic.html
Selling My Life on eBay is a life changing experience!
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