An Ending And A Beginning

August 31st, 2015 - filed under: The Farm » Family

Waits and Harley

One of my favorite pictures of two of my favorite creatures. June 2011.



On Monday, August 17th, we said goodbye to our Harley Dog.


Harley the Happy Dragon

Harley The Happy Dragon joined my life unexpectedly, in 2003. He was with me through my tumultuous twenties, through dating and heartbreak and flings that got flung, he was my guy. He was always my favorite bedmate.

He kept me company studying late nights through college, and saw me off before sunrise when I was doing my field research. He knew me when I was young and dumb and reckless and lost. He knew me before I knew myself.

Harley moved all the way to Portland with me, and then all the way back. He was there through my marriage, my pregnancy, my divorce. He was Waits’s first friend.


Harley and Jeremy

July 2013

Harley the Happy Dragon 1

Harley’s brain tumor grew fast, and his health deteriorated very quickly. In a matter of weeks he went from the Happy Dragon that we all knew and loved, to living in constant confusion and pain. There was no enjoyment left in his life, and that’s when we knew it was time to let him go.

I was able to spend the whole weekend with Harley, before he died. We hung out on the floor in a cuddle pile for pretty much the entire 48 hours, and that was a gift. Many of our friends stopped by to say their goodbyes – a testament to his amazing spirit, that he had touched so many lives and had so many people who loved him.

Damian brought Waits to say goodbye too. We talked about what would happen on Monday, and Waits drew a picture of the two of them together. That picture is hanging in our living room now, as a memorial.


Say and Harley dogSay and Harley

February 2015


I rescued Harley from a kill-shelter in 2003, and he died peacefully in my arms 12 years later. I will miss him forever, but I’m just so glad that I found him.


♥ ♥ ♥



Waits First Day Of Kindergarten

Last Wednesday, Waits started kindergarten. And it was so much more of an intensely emotional experience than I had anticipated.

For me, not for him.

Damian was out of town for the 10 days before school started, and I was so happy and grateful to have that time to savor life with my sweet little boy. I wanted to steep in every last second of it.

Kindergarten is a beautiful beginning, and I’m very excited for Waits to start this great new adventure . . . but I’m also sad, because this is really an ending, too, in its way. I guess that every beginning is.

My baby is growing up, and it’s stunning and magnificent to behold, and sometimes it also hurts. The other moms tell me that’s normal.


Waits and Mom First Day Of Kindergarten

On the first day of school, Waits skipped into his classroom and bellowed, “Hi Miss Anne! I’m Waits Rebhal: W-A-I-T-S R-E-B-H-A-L. This is my class!” and sat down on the circle rug to make new friends.

And I just couldn’t be any prouder of him. I just couldn’t be any prouder.


Waits First Day Of Kindergarten 1

  • Candace

    Sendin you love for your loss and your new life chapters. :)

  • Jentle72

    Awww, what an emotional and bitter-sweet time! I’m so SO sorry about your sweet doggy. That is such a difficult thing to go through. :-( Wishing you peace in the coming days and hope it brings you some comfort knowing that you gave him a beautiful life.

    Congratulations on your baby boy starting kindergarten! My sweet boy just started K, too, and what you wrote about your feelings on the subject pretty much sums up my feelings as well.

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