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Welcome to The Levi and Cooper Chronicles. I'm the 'Cooper' and my baby brother is the 'Levi.' We're not siblings in the literal sense of the word. He's a miniature schnauzer and I'm a miniature poodle but our differences go far beyond our breed. You see, I'm the famous angel dog who blogs from the Rainbow Bridge. Well, not famous down on earth but up here in doggie heaven all canines get to do whatever we like and I like blogging. We dogaroons up here can also gaze down through the magic water under the bridge and keep tabs on our humans. Isn't that cool! After I discovered the magic water, I decided that little Levi---who got adopted into the family shortly after my departure from earth---could use a guardian angel. When he blogs he types in pink and when I put my two cents worth in I type in blue.
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Saturday, August 23, 2008

The Long, Hard Cry

Time has no meaning up here at the Rainbow Bridge which is my excuse for not keeping up with my blogging. I just got busy with angel training; I'm learning to give new born puppies a little angel power push into the world. I've also done my share of shade sitting under the tennis ball trees. Some of the dogs up here are crazy about those trees. They're not content, like me, to just wait for the balls to fall on their own. You can always find a few canines jumping on their hind legs, plucking yellow prizes from the low branches.

I haven't been checking up on my earth family much lately either. But I came running to the magic water recently when I heard my mom seriously sobbing like I hadn't heard her do in a very long time. She's not generally a crybaby like that. I could feel her pain all the way up here and it broke my heart. I barked for my angel brother to come along and we saw her standing in front of the Moving Wall, the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. She was telling her friend that she didn't expect her emotions to boil up like that. She didn't stop crying until she and Dad got back home and she took a long nap.

They had seen the real Wall in Washington D.C. a few years after its dedication in 1982 and at that time they spent a long time looking up names in the book so they could find them on the wall. Mom had been pen pals with over fifty serviceman back then. Boys, really, she says. After one of those servicemen came back home they met and he affected her life in ways she still doesn't talk about to anyone.

"So many wasted lives," she kept saying in her head. "So many families touched by all those deaths." And by the ones who came home with physical and emotional scared. There was one homemade plaque placed at the end of the memorial with a name and the words "death by diaxin." It really affected Mom and Dad. Dad had a friend who fought the effects of Agent Orange for decades and died now long ago. Mom felt so badly that she didn't think to bring any flowers along to place beneath the Wall. When they visited the real Wall she brought a poem she wrote.

Tomorrow is Schnauzer Saturday and I'm hoping Mom will help Levi blog about his adventure in Senior Citizen Land but it might be Sunday. You know how old people are. One day is just like another....except on Saturdays. That's when my humans savor the farmers market. And I need to get back to keeping a closer eye on Mom. She's been a little down lately. ©

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15 comments:

Willow the Black Dale said...

Cooper....you do a great job of taking care of your hoomans and Levi. If only we all had a Cooper in our lives.

Heavenly touches,
Willow

Simba and Jazzi said...

Your poor Mum sounds very sad and with good reason. I hope going to the wall and letting it all out, helped with the healing.

Simba x

Abby said...

Hi, Angel Cooper...

My Mom told me that her & my Dad went to the Wall in Washington DC a few years before I was born...

It was a very emotional experience for them, too...

My Dad is a Viet Nam Veteran & he met alot of fellow Veterans as they walked along the wall...

My Mom was really moved by how my Dad & his fellow Viet Nam Veterans all greeted eachother with two words, "Welcome Home"...

My Mom says her & Dad remember that time very well...But, my Dad hardly ever talks about it...

Abby xxxooo

Dewey Dewster said...

Cooper,

Yep, yer Mom was probably like most folks when they see that wall....the emotions are overpowerin' and ya can't help yerselves but ta cry....Gram's first husband, Stephen Vuga, has his name on that wall...he was 20 when he died in Viet Nam.....that was so long ago but the memories are still raw and sting ya right to the core....there will probably be another wall once Iraq and Afghanistan are all settled...if they ever get settled......we can only pray fer it ta happen soon....

Dewey Dewster here.....

River said...

Hi Cooper, it's obvious you still take good care of your mom! My mom grew up outside DC and saw the Wall right after it was dedicated. It is very overwhelming--esp since she knew people who had died over there. I hope your mom will feel better soon. I think she will with you watching over her!

love & wags,
River

the many Bs said...

hi Angel Cooper, we understand why your mom is so sad about all of those names. it makes our mom sad too.

you are a good angel dog and we're glad that you are looking over your mom and dad and Levi.

woofs.

Asta said...

Cooper
Thank dogness you keep an eye on youw Mom fwom heaven..those awe vewy sad making thoughts she ahd..My Mommmi had many fwiends and a fiancee in vietNam..he came back vewy changed ..so sad..somtimes hoomans need to cwy and let out all that sadness.you'w help will be impowtant as will little Levi
healing smoochie kisses to hew
love
ASTA

Jan said...

My humans have pictures of the wall from several years back. They open the book where they keep them from time to time and get very sad.

misty the alpha Poodle

Lacy said...

w00f's angel cooper and levi, me sorry u mama iz so sad...me hopes her feels better soon..

b safe,
~rocky~

Georgeous said...

Thanks Cooper for peeping in the magic water, I just knew something was up, I felt it in my water...
Hope everyone feels better soon, emotions and crying is soOOo draining.
Pooky (Georges Mum)

Jake of Florida said...

Our folks visited the wall in Washington. That and the Korean memorial left indelible sorrow in their hearts.

With all your intimate connections, we understand why Angel Cooper had to help calm your sobbing. He is doing a good job, looking down from on high. It does help to put human actions on earth in perspective, doesn't it!

Jake and Just Harry

Joe Stains said...

Good to hear from you again. Mom's family has been to that wall too, so very sad. Her Dad was a Vietnam vet too.

Scruffy, Lacie and Stanley's Place said...

Ahh Cooper...your post reminded Mumsie of the toughest patient she's ever taken care of at work. A Vietnam vet came in a couple of years ago for some shoulder surgery. When he awakened from the anesthesia...he had a flashback...and it wouldn't go away. This poor man thought he was lying wounded in a battlefield for over 2 hours...he kept calling out for the medics and yelled at her not to put him on a chopper cuz he couldn't leave his men.

Mumsie was in highschool when the war ended so she was a bit clueless as to the realities of it all. This made it very very real. And for everyone else in that room. He was terrified.

We don't know the half of it, do we Cooper??

Sorry it's taken us so long to pick up our pawsome credit card you gave us!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks, Dude!!!!!!!!!

Kisses to you and to Levi and ur Peeps!!!!

Lotsa wiry love,
Scruffy

Pee ess...if ya need a laugh, come and see what Babystan has gotten himself into this time...it's been a L O N G weekend round here for Mumsie....

Two Schnauzers from New England said...

Hi, Cooper and Levi -

The trip to the Wall must have been very hard for your Mom and Dad. Mama's eyes leaked while she was reading your post.

We hope your Mom is feeling a little better after that cry. If we were with her we would lick her tears away.

Love -

Hershey and Kaci

Scottie the 'Cutie' said...

Hi Cooper,

Hope your Mom is feeling better after letting it out at the Wall. It must be really hard for her. You're doing a good job looking after your family. Keep it up!

Scottie