Remembering Ryan and the Lessons He Taught Us

It has been a year since we bid farewell to our beautiful senior dog Ryan on February 13, 2023. After he crossed the Rainbow Bridge on his final journey to eternal life, we remember the amazing impact he had on our lives and the lessons he taught us. When we said our tearful goodbyes, his paw prints remained etched in our hearts and memories forever. Ryan’s soulful eyes, his unwavering loyalty and his gentleness brought joy and comfort to us all. Now that a year has passed it is time to explore the wisdom he shared.

Unconditional Love and Acceptance

We were blessed to have Ryan in our lives for five years. When we left California and moved to the Pacific Northwest back in 2021, Ryan grew to truly love his new life, his family and the many friends he made during his short time in the beautiful town of Gig Harbor Washington. He was naturally unconditionally accepting of every human he met and all canine companions he befriended. For nine months, Ryan was a great friend and mentor to our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Albert, who is now 2 years old. Albert came to our family with great enthusiasm and a zest for life in May of 2022. When we brought Albert home to live with his Big Brother, Ryan became a great teacher who could mentor Albert about the road ahead…Ryan was the great “Elder Statesman” and gave Albert the esteem to thrive and enjoy the wonderful life he was about to experience.

Ryan also accepted all he had to endure with astonishing patience and grace. When he was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma in February of 2021, we knew his time on Earth was limited. He survived two years with too many vet visits, too many surgeries, too many tests, and too many treatments. Despite these health challenges Ryan enjoyed his life and soldiered through the rough waters that eventually guided him to the Rainbow Bridge. In addition to his cancer diagnosis, he battled arthritis and a torn ACL. But he loved his slow walks in the beautiful Spinnaker Ridge Gig Harbor Community. He also perked up during our walks to the downtown historic district while noticing many locals enjoying their boats, watching Seagulls on their perches near the waterfront and hearing the vocals from Habor Seals and Sea Lions. We knew his discomfort from cancer was progressing, but he never gave us the impression he was a victim or was consistently suffering under difficult circumstances. The lessons we learned from him were like watching a “Gladiator Battle the challenges in Ancient Rome with unbelievable grace” . Ryan also looked forward to joining puppy Albert and his family for TV night, and he was always up for a road trip to the beach or a local park. He was a true hero!

“Life is made up of challenges that cannot be solved but only accepted.” — Roger Ebert.

Patience

We’ve never seen a more patient dog. He would sit and wait for his walk without acting anxious, barking, fidgeting or displaying signs of impatience. Ryan always gave us the nod he was ready to go exploring and never showed impatience or anxiousness about the wonderful daily journey he was about to experience. We frequently thought that a Zen Master would be amazed at his ability to remain calm and patient. He was just willing to let things unfold in their own time. Many humans lack patience, which is a normal trait. When we remember how serene Ryan was and how he looked at things, we are grateful he set such a good example about experiencing life in general!

“Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in your mind.” — David G. All

All this adds up to wisdom!

Ryan was like this furry little Zen Master who set amazing examples about love, acceptance, patience and happiness. It is part of an enduring gift he gave to us – the lucky humans in his life. Ryan, dear friend, thank you for sharing your enduring wisdom. When we think about our own challenges, we often ask ourselves “What would Ryan do?”

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive.” – Gilda Radner