I know it’s been some weeks since I’ve written here, and that I’m on hiatus until next year, but I wanted to update y’all on a bit of my life… and to give myself a bit of healing after a tragedy.
My oldest dog, Casey, died a couple days ago. I’m still coming to terms with that, and the only way I really know how is to tell a story. So, here we go:
Casey Jones Swift (07/15/11-11/30/23) was an unexpected puppy. Literally. When Sarah and I were looking for a dog, I was adamant about having a golden retriever. I always wanted one. We were insanely lucky to find him, and because he was a ‘love puppy’, part of an unscheduled litter, we were able to get him at a price that I could afford. We thought about it, talked about it, and agreed that “Red” (the breeder’s name for him, based on his bandana’s color) would be part of our family. I took one look at him and called him “Casey Jones”.
We drove up to Tennessee, picked him up, and welcomed him into our lives. I’ve heard the phrase “Dogs are with you for a short time, but you are with them their entire lives” to show that we need to be grateful and kind to them. What that phrase does not show, however, is that the short time they are with us can mean the world to us. I wouldn’t grasp that until very recently.
I called him a ‘gun dog’ as he grew up because he was a true companion of a pet. He didn’t take to formal training but learned all of my personal cues and commands for things. As a puppy, he was chaotic and a ball of energy. Goldens, in case you don’t know, are known to hold on to their ‘puppy stage’ mindset a lot longer than other dogs. Casey was a puppy all his life.
But also like other Goldens, Casey was sweet to people, and patient with other dogs. Even when a second Golden joined the pack: Joseph ‘Jojo’.
Casey grew used to me working long hours and made me make up for it by spending a LOT of time playing, walking, and roughhousing.
When Jojo joined the pack, he became a bit calmer and helped the young one learn how to be a proper Swift.
As the years passed, the family grew. He met the new humans that joined the pack and treated them with the same love and patience he had shown everyone else.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that Casey started “showing his age”. When he was 8, he started making sure that he was always nearby us instead of chasing squirrels in the yard. He kept that habit up for the rest of his life.
He was diagnosed with heart problems and was put on a daily medicine that, I think, prolonged his life for a couple of years. But those years showed just how much he had aged.
On November 30, 2023, I came home from work knowing that my Old Man wasn’t feeling good. His hip dysplasia was hurting (I knew, because my knees were hurting) and he wasn’t wanting to eat. I had my suspicions but was confident that we would make the vet appointment the next day. I told Sarah I’d sleep on the couch so our Old Man wouldn’t have to walk to the bedroom, since he pretty much followed me everywhere I went nowadays.
At 8:20PM, Casey started coughing. I jumped off the couch, ready to help him. He gave a struggled breath, looked up at me as cradled his head, and…
I watched the light in his eyes leave.
I wasn’t ready. I broke.
I held him in my arms and broke. I cried and keened. I was not ready to have this part of my soul leave. I didn’t want it to happen. I didn’t understand at that moment that my friend was going away. I didn’t want to.
But Casey… was gone. He had said his goodbyes… and it was his time. He gave us twelve years of his life and love.
We will cherish every moment. He was a good boy. The best.
-JB Swift
Swift's Corner 