In Memory of Dory

[birdscomefirst]

Hi All,

I know I haven't been here much. I've been just trying to stay afloat and I've had a lot of things that needed to be done in order to survive.

Anyway. I have a hard time reading these posts so I avoid it. People who know me, know that I can't deal with loss very well. I cry when I read about the losses that you all have suffered and I want to tell you, one and all, that I am sorry for your losses.

I have a harder time posting in this section but today I have the difficult task of telling you all that Dory passed away , peacefully at about 3:30 PM today lying on my chest as we were at the Vets office.

Dory is on my website and if you remember, he was a 57 year old African grey that was horribly abused by his previous owners. He's been with me for 15 years or so and he was the biggest challenge that I ever faced as a bird person. We went to hell and back to get him to put his past behind him. We ultimately did and we have had a great relationship for a long time.

Dory is one of my inspirations when working with birds. He had more "issues" than any one bird should have ever had to deal with. One by one, we worked through them and we put them aside. He taught me so much! Dory has been a wonderful friend to me and he will be sorely missed.

He knows what this means....Night, Night, Dory!! You keep an eye on the Mush:-)

For those who may be curious, Jesse, my collie was close to Dory and Dory was to him, as well. Jesse's nickname is the Big Mush (rhymes with Push) Each night around 11:00 PM, after I walk the "Mush"....The "Mush" would go lay down right in front of his best, bird friend's cage. Dory would whistle to Jesse and I would say to Dory, Night Night, Dory....well you know the rest. It was the last thing that I whispered to him before he passed.

He'll keep an eye on "The Mush" from heaven now. And I'll have to keep an eye on the "Mush" myself for awhile. I think that "Tenpin" another wonderful grey will step up and help.

We Love you, Dory!

[FoxersArtist]

Hi Bill. It is always hard to see posts in this section as it usually means broken heartedness for the ones still here. Even in knowing that Dory is now free, it hurts to know that you must be hurting so badly. Words cannot express the loss you are surely feeling for the loss of your little friend. Dory was so lucky to know love in his later years and I am sure he went with peace in his heart. I hope that eventually you too will have peace knowing that he is better now than ever before. Big hugs and lots of prayers are coming your way for a mended spirit.
-Anna

[birdscomefirst]

Hi Anna,

Thank You. It surely is tough right now. Even remembering the triumphs that Dory and I shared, I can't hold back the tears.

Thanks for the hugs and the prayers. They are a comfort to me.

Bill

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Oh Bill,

Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for you and your family.

Dory will be missed and never forgotten. Thankfully he was not alone when he passed. He had you to hold him.

Lar

[birdie]

Bill, I'm crying with you. May you find peace knowing Dory knew love at the end, and I pray I can be there, like you were, for each of my birds when it becomes their time. :hgz:

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Bill,
I am so sorry for your loss. I can feel your pain in your post. It is so hard to have to say goodbye to a dear friend. My heart just aches for you.
You got to love him for fifteen long years and you got to be the one who righted all of his wrongs. He will always be in your heart and be your inspiration.
Patty

[birdscomefirst]

Thanks to all of you.

It was quite a day. Even my Vet who was wonderful, was in tears. It was very helpful for me to feel the Love and I know that it was important for Dory to feel that he was in the best of hands as we journeyed together through the door at the end of his life. Being with him and soothing and comforting him was something I wanted to be able to do and thank God that I was able to do that.

To put it simply, I am just dying inside. I identified with Dory, without going into all the details...I was abused as a kid in many of the same ways that Dory was abused. Similarities abound even to the point that when I got him he was a terrible plucker, While I used to chew my fingernails until my fingers were raw. We literally helped each other to get over many bad things in our pasts. The list is endless.

He has a huge piece of my heart and soul and all of my love.

I have found that love is not something that gets split up amongst the people and animals that are with me. It's not that you love each one a little bit and that adds up to all your love. It's more like you give all your love to each one. You give love fully, all you have, to each and every one. That's why it hurts so bad when you lose one friend. They don't just leave a small partial hole in your heart, you lose your entire heart.

I die every time one of my guys passes and it takes a long time to get over it and come back to life. You go on with your day to day activities but the heart takes a long time to heal.

I know that I might be sounding kinda sappy but that's the kind of person that I am. These feathered creatures mean more to me than I could put into words.

Thanks Again for allowing me to share my pain and Thanks for being the wonderful and caring people that you all are.
Bill

[Anne-Samantha's Mom]

Surely the angels in heaven are rejoicing for one of their own has come home...Bless you...

[too&me]

Oh Bill so sorry to hear about the loss of such a big part of your heart. Sending you a warm hug and healing songs for your soul. Dory's story is an uplifting one knowing that I hope your sore heart will recover soon. You made all the difference for him and it sounds like he did the same for you. You will always carry him both in your heart and in your soul. Love from us here in Texas.

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

I have found that love is not something that gets split up amongst the people and animals that are with me. It's not that you love each one a little bit and that adds up to all your love. It's more like you give all your love to each one. You give love fully, all you have, to each and every one. That's why it hurts so bad when you lose one friend. They don't just leave a small partial hole in your heart, you lose your entire heart.



Bill, That was so beautifully worded. What a dear, kind hearted man you are.

[birdscomefirst]

I have always said that if one of my birds passes and I don't feel the deep loss then I need to hang it up as far as parrots go.

As deep as you love them is as deep as the pain is when you lose one soul. It's the toughest part for me.

The other hard part of this is that when you lose one, your mind remembers the one that's gone and your mind goes back to other birds that have passed on. It causes you to grieve for all of them all over again.

Sometimes I think I'm nuts but then I realize that the hurt is the price of the love that is invested in a relationship.

I learn more about life from my birds than I might readily admit to any other people. You all understand. Anyone else would definitely think that I was teetering on the edge of lunacy with one foot on a banana peel and my other foot on an ice cube.

I just see Dory in my head all the time. I suppose it will get easier as time goes on. I've been through this before but each time I lose a friend, I forget that the pain gets easier a little at a time.

I just feel like I can't get a break sometimes. Two weeks ago, Jesse, my collie was at the Vets for four days. I nearly lost him too. This has been a rough summer so far.

My brain is just fried.

Thanks Again to all of you for allowing me to post my feelings.

Your Friend,
Bill

[too&me]

What may sound weird is that sometimes I can see them or hear them after they have passed, not often. That can be a comfort and sometimes it is disturbing either way I know they are still near my heart

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

When my U2 Abu died, I saw her in everything I looked at. It's hard to describe, but it's as if I had to physically look past the vision of her to see anything else in front of me. I was devasted, I still grieve for her. My tiel Henry used to always seemed to come out of nowhere and land on my shoulder, and when she died I heard the sound of her wings fluttering behind me for a long time. I miss her terribly.

[birdscomefirst]

I don't find seeing or hearing our lost friends to be at all strange. I know that people will think that this is nuts but what's true is true.

In the house where I live, I've felt what feels like cats rubbing against my legs. Now I know what that feels like, I have three cats too.

Late at night, the three cats are all asleep in their own rooms and are not wandering around the house. I've even gotten up from the computer to be sure all three cats were asleep after I felt a cat rubbing against my leg. I have even seen other cats. Please don't think this is nuts.

I came to find out that the lady that lived here a bunch of years ago was one of those crazy cat ladies and she had cats all over the place. When I described some of the cats that I see to people who knew her, they told me that I was describing some of the cats she had that passed.

The point of all this is two-fold....either the spirits of animals can linger and that allows us to hear, feel and see our beloved pets after they've passed or we really are cracked.

I prefer to think that we can feel them and that is why I understand when people say that they have sensations or hear sounds of their loved ones after they've gone.

Bill

[Anne-Samantha's Mom]

I totally believe in that Bill...totally and I feel sure your Dory is looking out for you.

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

I have had too many unusual experiences in my life to think anything is nuts. I find a lot of comfort in thinking that they may stick around for a while after they are physically gone, though I hope they quickly find their way to the bridge.