Sanibel Island – Disney Customer Service Keynote Speaker

Missing Carter

Ever miss something or someone so much that it takes your breath away?

Not wanting to belabor the point, however, yesterday was tough coming home.

You know what I’m talking about. And I was just grieving the loss of a Pet.

Ever wonder what it must be like to try to recover from the loss of a child, perhaps a teenager who is taken away suddenly and tragically?

Today is dedicated to those Families. If you are one of them, or know a Family like this (we know several), please pray for them with all your heart.

We can very likely assume that they are going through a hell that is impossible to imagine. And a hell that may never go away. Ever.

The Gift That Visit Brought Us

Happiest Dog in the World

We’ve been talking about a beloved Family pet, our Yellow Lab, Carter.

Virtually all pet owners understand the remarkable bond humans forge with their pets. And it’s especially strong in a pet relationship where there are no children.

Here’s the gift we received from what we thought was our very last weekend with Carter. We were staying at Mitchell’s Sand Castles, which is pet-friendly and on a quiet end of Sanibel Island. It was our 22 visit.

After a nice day on the Sanibel beach, with Carter at our side all day, we had a nice dinner in our cottage. I was walking contemplatively through the dark and tropical setting, taking the trash up to the road.

When around one dark corner, I was mildly startled by another man, standing by the road. Unusual, and a little freaky.

We said casual greetings and then he asked me, “Were you the guy with the Yellow Lab on the beach this afternoon?”

“Yeah, that was me.”

He said, and I will never forget this, “I’ve never seen a dog wag it’s tail so much. You must have the happiest dog on earth.”

There was a reason we went to Sanibel for Carter’s last weekend (so we thought) on earth.

It was so I could meet the total stranger out by the road, waiting for his pizza delivery guy.

The End Was Imminent

Imminent. Looming. Threatening.

This is what we thought October 2008, just over a year ago.

Our beloved Canine Son, Carter, a nine-year old Yellow Lab, was very sick.

Our Vet spotted an unusual sore in the roof of Carter’s mouth during his routine annual exam two months prior.

The sore ate a hole in the roof of his mouth at an alarming rate – what seemed literally overnight. In hindsight, maybe we panicked.

We honestly thought that Carter may not see another weekend and we quickly made arrangements for “one last trip” to our favorite Family vacation spot, Sanibel Island.

We talked with our son (eight) about death. We talked about our favorite Carter memories. We talked about what we’d miss the most about Carter.

We said goodbye to Carter.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Carter is still with us. He still struggles with the complications from the hole when he drinks and eats, but overall, it’s a miracle he’s still here.

Tomorrow, the gift that visit brought us.