Shannon and me in 1984...

She was my constant companion and my best friend.
In 1989 on December 24th, Christmas Eve
a fire started in the boiler room.
The whole house filled with oil soot smoke while we slept.
Shannon jumped on and off the bed to wake me!!
The house was so black with soot smoke
I could not see anything. I could not find her.
All the lightbulbs were black from soot,
so putting them on did not help either.

Finally I found her and we ran outside.
She saved my life!
The firemen said that if she did not wake me when she did,
that we would have died from either smoke inhalation
or the boiler would have blown up.
My Yellow Lab was now a Black Lab...
Her fur coated with oil soot.

Thank God for her and that we were alive!
She loved me so much and I loved her too.
She was my shadow, my everything.
I always told her that I didn't know how to live without her,
and that I didn't want to.

We went through everything together.
All the things that remind me of her...
All the special little things that she did.
The emptiness in my heart will never be filled again.

People say, well you can get another dog.
I say I can't - the heart that loved Shannon
is the same heart that loved my father and my mother
and the pain feels the same as when I lost them,
maybe more... cause the love comes from the same heart
and I think our hearts feel the love and the hurt
the same way... Does that make sense?

She will always be here with me.
I see her everywhere.
I know she is here watching over me
as she always did.
My heart hurts so very deeply.

"Good-bye My Friend"

You fought hard to stay alive, my friend
In the end though, you couldn't conquer death.
But neither did death conquer you.
Death cures all diseases, mends all broken bones,
Breaks all chains
And...made you free at last.
I shall see beauty but none to match your living grace.
I shall hear music but none as sweet as the droning song
with which you loved me.
I shall fill my days, but I shall not, cannot forget.
Sleep soft, dear friend....

Grief is the price we pay for having loved.
Through all the tears and the sadness and the pain of
grief comes one thought that can make us smile again:
We loved a particular animal dearly
and that love was returned manyfold....

Our loved companions never really leave us.
They live on in our hearts and the happy memories of
the times shared together...

This is a portrait of Shannon painted on a t-shirt.
I framed it in an embroidery hoop.
It will hang on my wall forever...

I found this poem in an old book.

I got to the Gate of Heaven after we said goodbye
I began to miss you terribly, because I heard you cry.
Suddenly there was an angel
that asked me to enter the Gate
I asked her if I could stay outside
for someone who'd be late.
I wouldn't make much noise you see,
I wouldn't bark or howl..
I'll only wait here patiently
and play with my tennis ball.
The Angel said I could stay right here
and wait for you to come
So I'll wait here...you take your time,
'cause we can't be apart...
Because Heaven just wouldn't be Heaven
without you to warm my heart.