16/04/2023
Friends, the heart and soul of Newfie Love has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. My Handsome Samson, my beautiful boy, who inspired each and every design, is gone. Here is my tribute to his sweet, powerful soul:
Samson you were the first dog I ever had. God must have known that some of the hardest years of my life were ahead, because he gave me the best dog that ever lived. You weren’t just a dog, you became a part of who I am and there will never be any going back.
Every single day you made my heart grow until it became as big as you. Everything I did, everywhere I went became more beautiful with you by my side.
What good is my sandwich without you begging for a bite?
What will the redwoods forest be without you walking by my side amongst those majestic sentient beings? What will the Pacific Ocean be without you by my side gazing out upon it? How can I go there without you now?
What will my home be without finding your soft fur tucked away in all the corners and under the sofa, without your sticky slobber stuck stubbornly to the walls, without your immense sleeping body lying on the floor beside my bed, the sound of your snoring more soothing than any sound machine money can buy.
It’s just a house now. Wood and sheetrock and lifeless furnishings. The heart is gone. How can I come home without your wagging tail beating on the floor like a drum because you got to too old to get up to welcome me back?
Who will bark incessantly at the crows in the backyard? Who will let me know on no uncertain terms that a UPS or FedEx package has arrived? Who will greet the morning sun with me on frosty winter walks, gazing back to show me that ever present sweet smile. Who will somehow let me know it’s dinnertime coming even when I’m 50 miles away heading home to make sure I get there by 4 pm. Who will give me the most adorable side eye and those slobbery kisses when he knows I’m sad?
You taught me so many things, some of which I’m only beginning to discover. Above all you taught me about love, a type of love I never knew even existed. The one thing you couldn’t do is teach me how to live without you. Now I have to figure that out on my own, and I don’t even know where to begin.
Good-bye Handsome Samson. I will hold you in the deepest chamber of my now oversized and heavy heart forevermore and hold fast to the hope I will see you running to greet me when it’s my time to go.