Sometimes life can throw you curveballs and that certainly has been the case for the Wee Walking Tours family in 2023. First, we had the shocking trauma of losing our beloved, wee Stirling. Now, in a twist of cruel fate, our sweet boy, Finn, has also crossed over the rainbow bridge.
While we will be sure to celebrate Finn's life on this blog, at the moment, we are filled with the raw grief of his recent passing. I try to tell myself that I am so lucky that I was able to spend an entire decade with my 'moose' (one of his many nicknames), but it doesn't make it any easier. You always think you will have more time with your canine companions, but fate often has other plans. Unfortunately, age caught up to our sweet boy and he got very sick and there was nothing we could do except make the most difficult but compassionate decision. Saying good bye is the absolute worst, but knowing he isn't in pain anymore brings a small measure of relief.
Nevertheless, it is the change in daily routine that reminds me that he is no longer here. I will miss our quiet walks (he preferred the country life over the hustle of the city) around the neighbourhood. He lived for those walks- it was all he really ever asked for....more than food! He was content to go to a wooded area or garden and just sniff and explore. That's what made him happiest and bringing him joy brought me joy. I will miss taking him on those peaceful walks more than I can properly convey!
We would often joke that Finn was a reincarnated human. He would just understand more when you spoke to him than any dog ever should. He was incredibly smart and full of so much love and empathy. Those are the things I will miss the most- knowing I could talk to him and have him look at me with such kind, unjudging eyes. And boy was he the king of puppy eyes! He knew how to melt my heart instantly.
It is such a strange dichotomous feeling we experience when we look at pictures of our adventures over the years. Right now, it brings such an ache to our hearts because we know we won’t be able to go on any more together. It also is difficult because some of them are of Finn and Stirling together. We just can’t believe that they are both gone- it’s surreal. At the same time, we also feel happy when we look at the pictures because it reminds us what fun we had ‘exploring and discovering’.
Therefore, we try to remind ourselves that we were able to give Finn the kind of life most dogs never get to experience. We will never forget how happy he was to visit the Bon Scott statue (seen at the top of this post) and be the center of attention for once unlike his brother, Sawyer, who is used to being the canine celebrity of the family. There are so many more incredible experiences we had and we hope you don’t mind if I share some of the pictures of Finn over the years.
It is amazing how such a tiny puppy grew into such a big boy! From the moment he arrived, he stole our hearts with his sweet face; he was an old soul from the beginning.
Our beloved 'Papa Bear', Rasmus, was already a senior when Finn joined our family. Yet, he helped instil patience and love in Finn- qualities he showed for the rest of his life.
From the moment Sawyer came home, Finn was the best big brother. Despite Sawyer being a little terror, Finn was devoted to him and showed him nothing but love.
That devotion grew into a strong bond of deep brotherly love.
Finn's and Sawyer's explorations around Scotland were epic!
Despite not being a fan of costumes, Finn was always a trooper whenever we coaxed him into wearing one for just a quick photo.
Unsurprisingly, Finn also helped guide our wee Stirling- even though he was only with us for such a brief amount of time.
As you can see, Finn was fortunate to live such an amazing decade of life. Now, all we can do is hope that he is at peace and is running around with his brothers- Rasmus and Stirling. So, run free sweet Finn! Sawyer, Mom, and Dad will miss you more than ever, but you will always remain in our hearts. We love you!
