Posted: 3/15/06
Final Draft - by Cliff Buchan
Pain felt when something special is gone
All across the state ó and the country for that ó there was a deep sense of loss last week with the death of Kirby Puckett. With little doubt he is the stateís most cherished athlete of all time and a baseball player that most admired.
Puckettís early death from a devastating stroke ó he would have been 46 on March 14 ó left many wondering why someone so young should be taken from this earth so early. It was much the same 10 years ago when blindness in his right eye ended his playing days for the Minnesota Twins.
Much like his sudden death in Arizona, he was taken from the game much too soon.
For the past week, we have been treated to story after story in the papers, on television and on the radio. It was sweet reminiscing for those who in a way adopted Puckett the ballplayer, a fellow who played the game hard and for fun. He was the type who passed up bigger paychecks and brighter lights to stay in Minnesota where he helped the Twins win world championships in 1987 and 1991.
There was a sense of loss for almost everyone who follows sports and anyone who was captivated by Puckettís zest for life.
But Kirbyís passing was just one of two hard blows felt in a home in Forest Lake last week.
Cody the golden retriever went to sleep for the final time on Friday. At nearly 12 he had lived a long life for a golden and the heart, soul and body that had given so much was fast fading in the walk against time.
Should you compare the passing of a human to the passing of an animal? Perhaps not, but in some ways it does make sense.
In the final 10 years of his life, Puckett lamented to the public to take nothing for granted in life and to live each day to the fullest with the understanding that there is no guarantee that there will be a tomorrow. Puckett was one who would wish that those left behind remember the good times and the good days and not weep over his passing.
But many did, of course, and it was the same in the Forest Lake home left silent by the absence of an old soup hound. Losing a pet is certainly not on a par with the loss of a child or any family member, but anyone who has said goodbye to a cherished pet can feel that knot deep in the stomach for days.
Try as one many might to avoid it, it is a given that a pet can worm its way into your heart to a point where it hurts deeply when that animal is no longer there.
It was that way with Cody. Here was a dog that came from humble beginnings in a rescue shelter. He was 3 and flawed when he found his way to the gravy train in Forest Lake. But this was a dog ó with love and gentle guidance ó that would grow and blossom.
This was a dog with odd quirks, to be sure. Dark places, loud sounds, and even water, were not to his liking. He would cower to a raised stick. He could be startled by a snowman in winter or refuse to navigate a three-step doorway into a neighborís house.
These may have been deep-rooted issues from a troubled puppyhood and his early life in a rescue facility.
But with time and maturity this was a dog that managed to overcome most of the oddities. He loved cats and birds and could wile away an hour waiting for a neighbor cat to poke its nose outside the door.
There were plenty of naps, of course, but only after a routine of fussing and scratching that favorite dog bed just so.
Far from a food beggar, he would patiently wait for the treat bucket to open. The clicking sound of the hook on a leash was enough to prick up those ears and energize the boy for the walk that was to come.
The soft tug of his nose on an arm or the plopping on a lap of that big old head with those soft brown eyes were subtle ways of asking for attention.
It is such things that those who loved Cody will remember and cherish. Animals like this never make demands but they give so much that their loss leaves a void that does make a heart ache. There is a home in Forest Lake with sadness this week, but joy for the memories he has left.
If we forget their shortcomings and accept them for what they truly are, there is a wealth of memories that will last a lifetime. And in a way it is no different that the passing of a person of note.
We accept and remember a man like Kirby Puckett for the right reasons and it is the same for an old hound that brought so much joy to so many just for being a dog with a big heart and an animal willing to share his joy of life with anyone who would give a pat on the head or a scratch on the tummy.
Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
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