14 Comments
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Leanne's avatar

Mari, What a beautiful tribute to the lessons learned from your faithful companion. Loving our pets so much that we know it's best to let them go is the hardest part of having one. Your love for Lynn is evident. Congratulations on the college graduation as well.

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Mari, the Happy Wanderer's avatar

Thank you so much for the sympathy—and the congratulations too, Leanne.

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Theresa Brown's avatar

Mari, I'm so sorry that you have lost Lynn and I feel so privileged that we were part of her final hike. I know she was a great companion for you and that you have lost not just a dog, but also a fellow hiker and adventurer. Sending hugs and lots of love.

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Mari, the Happy Wanderer's avatar

Thanks, Theresa—for the kind words and for giving Lynn so many snuggles when you visited!

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Alison Self's avatar

So beautiful, you gave her a good life!

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Mari, the Happy Wanderer's avatar

Thanks, Alison. She gave us a good life too.

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Mel Oncu's avatar

Mari - wow, what a post. It brought me to tears.

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Mari, the Happy Wanderer's avatar

Oh, thank you, Mel. Please give Penny a big hug from me.

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Patrice Johnson's avatar

Oh Mari. Oh my I am heartbroken. So grateful I got to meet your Lynn. She was such a perfect girl. This is a loss, but also such a gift to be part of her life. I will always remember our day trip to Gruyères peering out of the castle window and seeing her waiting, faithfully and patiently three stories below us, untethered and content to wait because she had learned trust from you. I think often of our days with you in Bern--hanging out, sharing the backseat with her while she napped and I got to pet her for miles and miles, and the walks past cows--Lynn's ears always forward with curiosity and joy. All my love to you and Matt and the kids.

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Mari, the Happy Wanderer's avatar

Thank you so much for sharing these lovely memories, Patrice!

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Sarah's avatar

This is such a lovely tribute to such a good friend. I feel like I got to know Lynn through all your stories over the last few years and I always loved pictures of her trundling up the mountains!

She had a beautiful life with you - I’m so glad you had each other.

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Mari, the Happy Wanderer's avatar

Oh, thank you for this, Sarah!

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ronetc's avatar
6dEdited

Proofreading: the poem excerpt at the essay beginning misquotes "So immense a thing as Death?" as "So a thing immense as Death?" Other than that, great essay and great poem . . . which I had assumed from the two lines was Emily Dickinson.

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Mari, the Happy Wanderer's avatar

Thanks for the kind words!

The quote is accurate—I’m not sure why she phrased it that way. (My husband misremembered it as “such a thing immense as Death, incidentally.)

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