I am devastated to share the news that Brio, my gorgeous girl, is gone.
Just shy of her twelfth birthday, the strength of her spirit could no longer substitute for the natural and far-too-rapid course of age, and her body gave the last of what it physically could give.
Brio was never one to complain, and regardless of pain or injury — or illness — she always pressed on. But, as the vet explained, there comes a point where the amount of energy required to keep on keeping on is exhausted, and when that point is reached, what seems like a sudden deterioration is simply the reality, no longer hidden.
I knew this summer would probably be Brio’s last, and I had hoped to spend the majority of it with her down by the lake.
But even asking her to stay just one more weekend, to enjoy this beautiful weather together, would have been far too selfish a request on my part. When I put it to the vet that maybe I should take her home for the weekend, to help her enjoy the sunshine and warmth, and to say goodbye after that, he pointedly told me: “She’s not going to enjoy the sun. She’s not enjoying anything.”
And he was right. And I needed to hear that.
Brio had lived every moment to the fullest, and she was now ready to go, even if I wasn’t ready to allow her to do so.
And honestly, I would never be ready. But she was showing me — and through her eyes and expression, telling me — that she was.
So on Thursday afternoon, as I lay by her side caressing her sweet beautiful face, Brio and I said goodbye, and she crossed over to whatever comes after this life.
There is a Brio-sized hole in my life, and my heart, but I know the overwhelming love we shared, all the memories will, in time, fill that space and replace the grief that, for now, has settled in with some considerable weight.
I am so grateful that Brio and I found each other in this life. We were a perfect pair, and I hope I offered her as much love, joy, and fulfillment as she provided me.
Goodbye, my sweet girl. Forever in my heart. Forever by my side.
My Brio.
