Grieving our beloved girl, Freyja

Our sweet Freyja Sue passed away on October 16th after suddenly getting sick due to kidney failure. We are all so saddened by her illness and death and miss her so much. She came into our lives only a few short years ago but immediately made an impact on all who knew her! She taught us a lot during her life with us, but she also taught us much in her death.  

Freyja had been in foster care for three months when Mike discovered she needed a home. We knew little about her, only that she had two previous owners with her last one getting sick and unable to care for her. She was malnourished and neglected, very thin, and had bald spots on her back and tail. She really had difficulty eating at first and was so weak. 

Once she became stronger, ate more consistently and figured out the rhythm of our world, she made up for lost time, making sure she got her needs met. She would bark when ready for food (3 pm on the dot), when she thought it was time for a walk, when she decided it was bedtime (9 pm on the dot!) or when she needed more attention and assistance to get close to us. 

She quickly became an integral part of Within Sight’s pack and healed us while she was healing. We took her to work from the beginning, knowing she needed a lot of care and attention. We quickly realized she did not have much socialization or stimulation earlier in her life. Freyja did not know how to walk on a lease, how to ride in a car, know any commands or how to be in relationships with others well. She was acting like she knew these things! Very funny and sometimes frustrating at the time. But she was trying her best to learn new dog life skills quickly, please us and make new friends. Once she got it all down pretty well, she totally embraced her new life! 

She loved to come to the office to do therapy and made sure to visit everyone. She would go from office to office or greet clients with her fast, little trot then go find her dad. She knew she could count on extra treats and pets, especially her favorite belly rub, from everyone when she visited. They knew she would give them love and acceptance.  

Freyja would go anywhere and do anything to be with her favorite person. She actually climbed an attic ladder to follow him, somehow climbed up and on a desk to look out the window to find him, could climb over the dog gate, always sleep very near him, even climbing in his guitar case and suitcase when available. Her love for her dad was deep, and it felt like she knew he saved her life.  

All those things she taught us; live life fully, assert your needs, allow the love in immediately once you find your pack, follow your heart, be courageous and daring, don’t worry about the process too much, take the walk, take the nap, learn new things, demand the food you like, be persistent & tenacious and love deeply, are all her lessons we now are trying to take in. 

She left us like she came in, weak but doing things on her terms. Freyja was not going to eat what she was supposed to but rather what she wanted. She knew what was important and that was spending time with those she loved and getting to see her Within Sight pack. She never wavered in trying to show us love, get her needs met and enjoy the things she loved. She gave us comfort in her last days, and I hope she received comfort from us. We made sure she experienced all the things she loved in her last month of life.  

It is so hard to experience her death, but we know grief must happen and is a result of having loved well. So, we allow the tears, feel the void without her, feel sad, still call out for her, and miss her snuggles. We let difficult emotions come when they need to, without shame, embarrassment, judgment, irritability, or fear. We reach out to others who love her to share her memory when we need to feel closer to her spirit. We take extra care of ourselves and others who are grieving, allowing extra compassion, grace, and patience. We remember her being with us. And while we are grieving deeply, we take solace in knowing she not only lived her best life these last almost 4 years, but she also gave us some of our best years. 

Thank you, Freyja Sue aka Freyja Bean, Freyja Jane, little Muppethead, Mrs. Magoo, Frey Frey! Love you forever!