Going on the WorldRace I undeniably had a few concerns. The number one thing I was worried about when leaving for 11 months was “Man, I will miss my dog SO much”.
My doggies name is Daisey Madden. She is a perfect chocolate lab. 13 years ago we picked her out of a friends litter of puppies. She was a tiny little brown nugget that when we held her we just knew we couldn’t live without her.
We brought her home and she went quickly from being a sweet little puppy to being called “the crazy brown dog”. She was like a bull in a china cabinet. She ate everything, she was extremely energetic, and she was always ready to pin us down on the ground to play.
As she got older, she never lived “the crazy brown dog” name down. She was always keeping us on our toes. You couldn’t leave any type of snack on the counter because she would eat it in 5 seconds flat. You couldn’t take her into the backyard and turn your back on her because if you did she would somehow always end up swimming in our pond.
She loved car rides. Especially ones around Christmas time. We would go get peppermint shakes from Braums and then take a long drive through the Christmas lights in our town park.
She did love one thing more than a car rides through the Christmas lights— SNOW CONES. In the summer time, if you came home with anything in a white styrofoam cup you better watch your back because Daisey thought it was a snow cone for her. Eventually we would just bring home an extra snow cone just for her. It’s the only thing I have ever seen her take her time to eat. I think it was a combination of her trying to enjoy it and her getting a brain freeze.
I knew going on the WR I would miss the snuggles, car rides and snow cone season but above all I would just miss having her around.
Daisey has been with our family for 13 years. We got her when I was about 9 years old so she has been there for me through all the trials of life. She was there through all the joys, the heart aches, the losses. She was my constant when everything else was falling apart. When I felt like I had no one else, I knew I could silently lay on the ground next to her and somehow she would just understand.
DayDay (as I like to call her) was my best friend. On Sunday August 6th, while I was far far away in Nepal, I lost my best friend. My parents had to put her down due to a combination of old age and unfixable health issues.
Because of time differences and bad wifi I didn’t find out until over 24 hours later.
The hardest thing for me is that I wasn’t there. I know God brought me on the WR for many reasons. I have never felt so destined to be somewhere more than I have on the WR.
But thinking of my Daisey dying without me there, when she has always been there for me, breaks my heart.
Going home in 3 months will be so bitter sweet. My parents house won’t be the same with out her. Christmas won’t be the same with out her. My life won’t be the same with out her.
I trust God has a plan for this heart break.
Some of my most recent favorite memories with Daisey are when she was my shop dog for my Thready Or Knot business venture. I would be working away on a project and she was always near to my side with an encouraging kiss just waiting for me to take a break and lay in the yard with her.
I believe with my whole heart that Daisey is in heaven right now laying in a grassy spot soaking up the sun. One day we will be reunited, it’s just a lot longer than the 11 months I had planned on.
DayDay, I will miss you forever. I love you.
Emily
If you have a memory of Daisey please leave it in a comment below!
