Bittersweet Goodbye’s

Have you ever had a time in your life where your emotions were pulled from one end to the other in a short period of time?

Bittersweet Goodbye's

June has been that for Mr. G and I with bittersweet goodbye’s.

I have been wearing glasses since I was 1 and 1/2 years old.  Bad eyes from the beginning.

Bittersweet Goodbye's

I learned very quickly that this was going to be part of me.  My new sidekick. Something I had to take very good care of. I wonder why I was wearing pants with cuffs up to my knees?  I still have those shoes. My mom keeps everything.

Bittersweet Goodbye's

Ugh!!  What kind of haircut is that?  But, I was in the 6th grade.  And how stylish was I wearing Cat Eye frames for so many years?

Bittersweet Goodbye's

And then the large round glasses became stylish.  Not a good look for someone with a bad prescription like mine.  Normal is 20/20. My vision was 20/1600!

Bittersweet Goodbye's

My senior year in high school is when I started wearing contacts. Such a relief to not have to wear glasses as much anymore. Don’t you love the flower shirt and blue eyeshadow?  We were so hip in the mid-’70s.

Bittersweet Goodbye's

I wore contacts until about the age of 50 and things started going downhill from there. My vision was so hard to correct with glasses and reading was becoming a chore. I couldn’t have readers put in my glasses because I had to wear small frames so the glass wouldn’t be so thick. Remember the term – Coke Bottle Glasses?  I think I started that!

But then, at my last eye exam, the doctor said those words I had been waiting to hear.  “You have cataracts.”

You might be wondering why I would be so happy hearing I have an eye condition? The reason is cataracts would be removed and would be replaced with lens that I can see and function with. Most think only the elderly have cataracts, but not true. Actually, any age can develop cataracts. And the solution is an easy surgical procedure which I had done last week. Needless to say, immediately after the first eye was done, I could see the nurses face, I bawled.  Literally bawled!  I could see for the first time without glasses since I was 1 1/2 years old!

I am typing this blog post today without the use of glasses. I will still have to wear glasses because my eyes are seeing 20/50. But they won’t be Coke Bottle Glasses. They will be thin beautiful fashionable glasses and I will have so many frames to choose from. Not just one or two. I think I might go back to cat-eye frames.

But, with all that joy, comes sadness.

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We had to say goodbye to our beloved Ernest T. Bass a couple of weeks ago. What an awesome dog he was. He came to us 10 years ago at the age of about 5 from Florida Boxer Rescue. The picture above was his first day here. He was such a handsome boxer.

Bittersweet Goodbye's

He wrote several blog posts about his life for my blog.  He was such a clown and preferred to be with humans than other dogs.

Bittersweet Goodbye's

I knew, from having boxers in the past, that he would probably only be with us for about 5 more years. But, in true Ernest T. Bass form, he decided to stay with us much longer and we enjoyed five more years of all his love, wibble buts and slobbers. To make a point, of course.

Bittersweet Goodbye's
He had many adventures with us and enjoyed the community he lived in. The neighbors were always giving him treats. His favorite past time. He also went to “obedience school” right after he came to us.  He made it through the 6-week course and earned “Most Improved”!!  He didn’t care, but we were proud of our boy. He even finally enjoyed riding around in the golf cart.  He wrote all about his adopted life, which is a must-read if you plan to adopt your next fur baby.

Ernest T. Bass will always have a special place in our hearts. He lived a very long 15+ years. Mr. G said, “God didn’t create pets if we weren’t going to see them in heaven.” I truly believe we will see him again and I’m sure he will have stories to tell us.

Bittersweet Goodbye's

For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Enjoy,

Tammy

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18 Comments

  1. Sweet share, sorry for your loss but what a great gain. Life is funny sometimes, the little things that make a huge impact. Sounds like you and your beloved Bass had many great years of joy. And those coke bottle glass have some funny stories too. Balance. Thanks for sharing, enjoy your new journey and those cat eye glasses :)!

  2. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. I know the sadness that you’re going through right now and I will keep you in my thoughts.

  3. I’ve lost pets in the past and wasn’t going to get another one because it’s like losing a family member. But, I broke down and got a cat and a dog. I’m sorry you had to lose yours. My mom had cataracts removed and had lens put in and she sees so much better now.

  4. I’ve been wearing glasses for a long time too. I’m glad you were able to go through the procedure without any hassle! Congrats on your eyesight! Although, I am terribly sorry to hear about your dog, he sounds like one of the best dogs in the world!

  5. Oh, I am so sad about the dog. I remember when I said goodbye to my pet before. It breaks my heart.

  6. So, so sorry to hear about your pup – these pictures of him are amazing and I have a feeling he was an amazing pet. Live through the memories and stay strong!

  7. I am so sorry for your loss. 15 years is a nice life for a dog, and it looks like his years with you were certainly quality ones that he treasured. No amount of time ever feels long enough with our pets or loved ones.

  8. Ernest looks like an adorable dog. It is hard to bid goodbye to a loved one.

  9. So sorry to hear about your dog. Bittersweet goodbyes can be challenging. Glad to hear that your cataract surgery went well and that your are able to wear glasses that aren’t as thick. Prayers for your pooch!

  10. We recently lost our furbaby and it was really hard on all of us. Remembering the good times and creating a place we could go visit her really helped us get through it.

  11. Sorry to hear about the loss of Ernest. We had to do the same thing last year with our Husky/Chow, Ruby, and it was horrible. I’m tearing up now thinking about it. Pets really do become part of your family.

  12. so sorry to hear about your dog. Sure he is happy and had fun with you guys! love looking at those throwback photos of yours!

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