Thursday, January 04, 2007

Cleomi


Today, 4 January 2006 is the 2nd anniverssary of Cleomi's death. I am including the text from the acknowledgements page from the website, written shortly after her passing. The busyness of my days often interferes with my ongoing grief around this loss. In quiet moments, I will catch a glimpse of a photograph and I'll feel her presence. I'll remember her passing, how she shuddered as her heart gave way and the flaccid weight of her body as I draped her across her my shoulder.
"My beloved dog Cleomi inspired the vision of this site, and hence the its orginal launch name of cleomi.com. Cleomi's beauty and grace seemed a fitting symbol for the content I wish to represent on this site. In a very direct sense, my relationship with this animal, who is "3 genes away from being human" (according to one dog expert who knows her well), has taught me much about compassion, patience, and love - all key ingredients for being a human being and a psychotherapist. At around 7 pm on the evening of 4 January 2004 my beloved Cleomi left the world. She developed lymphoma 18 months before this and had her spleen removed. She had a rich and robust life since that diagnosis, climbing mountains, circumambulating Indian Brook Reservoir and Colchester Pond, and going on secret daylong adventures with her brother Ruki. About a month ago, she started growing weak and losing weight. She was severely anemic, due to the development of leukemia. She went quickly and at home. She was 10 years young this past May. She has enjoyed lounging at home with Ruki, her tireless and faithful companion, who seems lost in her absence. I am heartened to know she lived an exceptional life, spending her first few years on the track as Speedo Gena, and then spending most of the rest of her hours off-leash, running and loving life. She swam in the ocean, Lake Champlain, Colchester Pond, and Indian Brook Reservoir; she climbed Camel’s Hump, Mt. Hunger, Mt. Mansfield, and Mt. Laraway. She was a social leader among her peers, and a general goofball. She was gentle, loving, and intelligent."

Cleomi received Exquisite Care over the years from the wonderful people at the See Spot Run Kennel in Jeffersonville, Vermont. You may contact Tracie for more information at dogkeep@sover.net. For more information about adopting a greyhound you may visit the National Greyhound Adoption Program, or The Adopt-A-Greyhound Project.

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