I lost a friend today, a friend I had for 14 years, and there is already a void where he once was.
He was not always the nicest , and he was sometimes quite obnoxious, but then he would do something so sweet it would melt my heart.
He loved the sun and would stretch out and soak in every ray when he got the chance, and his iridescence was breathtakingly beautiful.
He was there with me every morning helping me get ready for work, watching me as I put on my makeup .He always greeted me with a song when I came home from a long day at work. He was there every night watching tv with me, sometimes falling asleep on the handlebar of the exercise bike, and I would have to gently carry him back to his home.
He would get snippy sometimes and fuss at me, and I would get mad, but I could never stay mad very long, because soon he would waggle his wing, and softly coo at me and everything would be forgiven.
He became sick a few months ago, and could not breathe very well, he lost the ability to coo or sing, and the house became very quiet. He wasn't enjoying life very much and there was nothing I could do for him to make him better. He couldn't help me put my make-up on in the morning, and we couldn't watch tv in the evenings because he became so weak. I couldn't take him to a doctor because the stress would have even been worse than his illness, so I let him drift away on his own, being only able to tell him that all would be ok very soon, and that it was OK for him to go since he was so tired and he had fought a good battle.
This morning before the sun was up I said good-bye for the last time to my friend Coo the mourning dove I had rescued 14 years ago. I miss him already, but I know he is out there in the sun, singing and flying and watching over me. I just want him to know how much I learned from him and how much he meant to me.