“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.” – C. S. Lewis
My sweet Goodie
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My sweet Goldie
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Goodie was my golden retriever. She was the second dog of our family. Our first, an impulse buy, was the most unique-looking beagle I’ve ever seen (she had French blood!! 
So we were told, which was supposed to make her even more elegant), with green eyes, a rich consistent brown coat, a very lush white strip of fur wrapped around her neck like a thick fur coat collar, white legs, and a whimsical bouncy white tip of tail. No typical black patches at all. While cute and beautiful and awesome and all, our beagle was, like all beagles, really loud and energetic. After her bout of bird-catching and eating (EEEEK 
), we decided she must be too bored. We researched this time round, and finally got Goodie the retriever as her calm companion.
We eventually gave Beagle (that was her name) away to a beagle-lover. That was because bossy little Beagle couldn’t handle a meek Goodie growing up to become twice her size. But Goodie won because she wasn’t into eat birds – actually, she was so gentle that she watched birds collect her soft shedding for nest-building (of course, we later realized she was instead really into retrieving birds that died of other causes to our doorstep, but that was another story…
)! It must be pointed out that although Goodie didn’t look unique from other retrievers, she was elegant like a proud lion. When walking, she waltzed like a model on a runway with her soft tread and sleek movements. When resting, she loved to lay down her body in a slight curve while holding her head high. She never ever barked at humans. The only time I heard her growl menacingly was at a guy retriever checking her out on the road. What a modest lady! 
It was during Goodie’s solo household reign when I found Goldie the jade lion in an Asian jade market. I was instantly struck by the quality of this small piece – both of the material and the craftsmanship. This type of jade is termed “sugar jade” in Chinese, although this piece is so rich and dense that it seems like thick honey. The “moisture” of the jade, making it almost like it is filled with water, gives it a soft internal glow. Not only do the powerful and smooth carve lines reveal a deft hand, but the large round eyes, stubby nose, plump butt, springy curled tail, and little curved horn between its ears (yes it has a HORN so it’s actually a mythical creature instead of a real lion) add a sweet whimsical feel. It was smiling at me, almost with a wink!
So Goldie followed me home in my half-empty purse and became my new pet.
It took me a while to realize why I liked this little jade lion so much – it looked like Goodie! From its silly grin, tossed head, straightforward eyes, waggy tail, and most importantly, elegantly curved posture - they all bear the hallmarks of Miss Goodie.
One day, Goodie appeared in the backyard with a flowerpot in her mouth. We left the yard door open while gardening up front and when she wandered out, she decided to help. Being the retriever she was, she patiently retrieved the flowerpots to the backyard and lined them up one by one. I wished we had taken a photo; she looked so cute and darn serious in her work!
That’s why Goldie has a beaded flower in her mouth as well. I also added a little green bow so it looks like a gift, like how Goodie loved to present us with her “treasure finds” – flowers, pots, balls, … and dead birds. Oh how she would have loved to eat the delicious birdies as Beagle did! One of those was actually a blue jay too!! HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY RESIST EATING A BLUE JAY?! But she held out only because of her love for us – we must be starving too! She was a dog with a deep understanding of love and sacrifice. 
Goodie passed away of old age years ago. I remember it very clearly as I was home alone that day (my family was on the plane). That morning when I went downstairs, I saw her lying on the grass in her favorite spot. She looked like she was sunbathing. But I knew almost instantly she was gone. She had been growing weaker and weaker and for the last few nights, she had been refusing to go back to her kennel to sleep. It was raining the night before, so I took her back to her kennel. But she dragged herself (she had poor hips) out again over the night. I heard dogs like to go back to the open before they die. And Goodie clearly knew when. Is that a gift or curse?
As people came to take Goodie away, I picked a daisy for her. It was in full bloom when I plucked it, but when I laid it down beside her, it suddenly fell to pieces. She loves me, she loves me not? But she had always loved us far more than we could ever love her back. Love is never a game to a dog; how can it be one for humans?
Expression
So we were told, which was supposed to make her even more elegant), with green eyes, a rich consistent brown coat, a very lush white strip of fur wrapped around her neck like a thick fur coat collar, white legs, and a whimsical bouncy white tip of tail. No typical black patches at all. While cute and beautiful and awesome and all, our beagle was, like all beagles, really loud and energetic. After her bout of bird-catching and eating (EEEEK ), we decided she must be too bored. We researched this time round, and finally got Goodie the retriever as her calm companion. We eventually gave Beagle (that was her name) away to a beagle-lover. That was because bossy little Beagle couldn’t handle a meek Goodie growing up to become twice her size. But Goodie won because she wasn’t into eat birds – actually, she was so gentle that she watched birds collect her soft shedding for nest-building (of course, we later realized she was instead really into retrieving birds that died of other causes to our doorstep, but that was another story…
)! It must be pointed out that although Goodie didn’t look unique from other retrievers, she was elegant like a proud lion. When walking, she waltzed like a model on a runway with her soft tread and sleek movements. When resting, she loved to lay down her body in a slight curve while holding her head high. She never ever barked at humans. The only time I heard her growl menacingly was at a guy retriever checking her out on the road. What a modest lady! It was during Goodie’s solo household reign when I found Goldie the jade lion in an Asian jade market. I was instantly struck by the quality of this small piece – both of the material and the craftsmanship. This type of jade is termed “sugar jade” in Chinese, although this piece is so rich and dense that it seems like thick honey. The “moisture” of the jade, making it almost like it is filled with water, gives it a soft internal glow. Not only do the powerful and smooth carve lines reveal a deft hand, but the large round eyes, stubby nose, plump butt, springy curled tail, and little curved horn between its ears (yes it has a HORN so it’s actually a mythical creature instead of a real lion) add a sweet whimsical feel. It was smiling at me, almost with a wink!
So Goldie followed me home in my half-empty purse and became my new pet.It took me a while to realize why I liked this little jade lion so much – it looked like Goodie! From its silly grin, tossed head, straightforward eyes, waggy tail, and most importantly, elegantly curved posture - they all bear the hallmarks of Miss Goodie.
One day, Goodie appeared in the backyard with a flowerpot in her mouth. We left the yard door open while gardening up front and when she wandered out, she decided to help. Being the retriever she was, she patiently retrieved the flowerpots to the backyard and lined them up one by one. I wished we had taken a photo; she looked so cute and darn serious in her work!
That’s why Goldie has a beaded flower in her mouth as well. I also added a little green bow so it looks like a gift, like how Goodie loved to present us with her “treasure finds” – flowers, pots, balls, … and dead birds. Oh how she would have loved to eat the delicious birdies as Beagle did! One of those was actually a blue jay too!! HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY RESIST EATING A BLUE JAY?! But she held out only because of her love for us – we must be starving too! She was a dog with a deep understanding of love and sacrifice. Goodie passed away of old age years ago. I remember it very clearly as I was home alone that day (my family was on the plane). That morning when I went downstairs, I saw her lying on the grass in her favorite spot. She looked like she was sunbathing. But I knew almost instantly she was gone. She had been growing weaker and weaker and for the last few nights, she had been refusing to go back to her kennel to sleep. It was raining the night before, so I took her back to her kennel. But she dragged herself (she had poor hips) out again over the night. I heard dogs like to go back to the open before they die. And Goodie clearly knew when. Is that a gift or curse?
As people came to take Goodie away, I picked a daisy for her. It was in full bloom when I plucked it, but when I laid it down beside her, it suddenly fell to pieces. She loves me, she loves me not? But she had always loved us far more than we could ever love her back. Love is never a game to a dog; how can it be one for humans? Expression
