MeiMei

My golden girl, MeiMei, passed away yesterday afternoon at home with compassionate assistance from Lap of Love. She was 14 and a half years old, quite venerable by Golden Retriever standards. She came to me at age four, having been relinquished to the Hawaiian Humane Society on Oahu. Getting her home to Moloka’i was an adventure requiring several flights on small aircraft for us and passage on a cargo flight for her.
She was a steadfast companion, quirks and all, and a light in my life during times when more things changed than stayed the same. Her sweet, kindly demeanor was a passport to social interaction in places where I was a stranger. She never said no to a snack and gratefully accepted gifts of tennis balls from neighborhood children.
She was active and healthy until recently, when she was diagnosed with kidney failure; even then, we walked twice a day in the park behind our home, greeting friends and strangers both canine and human.
Monday night was a bad night. I slept on the floor with her, thinking she might not live ’til morning. I’m grateful for that time, and that when her passing came, she went quickly and peacefully in my arms. Rest well, sweetheart. I will always love you.