The Rufus Philip Gibson Memorial Pages

These pages are dedicated to a very special dog who now calls Heaven home October 12, 2002 February 07, 2011

ON LOAN FROM GOD

God promised at the birth of time, a special friend to give. His time on Earth is short, He said, so love him while he lives. It may be for eight or ten years, or only two or three. But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for Me? A waggin tail and cold wet nose and silken velvet ears. A heart as big as all outdoors, to love you through the years. His puppy ways will gladden you, and antics bring a smile, as guardian or friend he will be loyal all the while. He'll bring his charms to grace your life, and though his stay may be brief, when he is gone the memories, are solace for your grief. I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return, but lessons only a dog can teach I want you each to learn. I've looked the whole world over, in search of guardians true, and from the folks that crowd life's land. I have chosen you. Whatever love you give to him, returns in triple measure, follow his lead and gain a life, brim full of simple pleasures. Enjoy each day as it comes; allow your heart to guide, be loyal and steadfast in love, as the dog there by your side. Now will you give him all your love, nor think the labor vain, nor hate me when I come to call, to take him back again. I fancy each of us would say, Dear Lord, Thy will be done, for all the joys this dog shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run. We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may, and for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay. But should the angels call him home, much sooner than we planned, well brave the bitter grief that comes, and try to understand. If by our love we've managed, God's wishes to achieve, in memory of him that we have loved, and to help us while we grieve. When our faithful bundle departs, this earthy world of strife, we'll get yet another pup, and love him all his life. Author Unknown

The Golden Gates stood open, God saw you needed rest, His garden must be beautiful, He only takes the best.

Prayer in Memory of a Pet Almighty God, We were fortunate to receive the gift of Rufus from You. Now that he has left this life, please help us cope with our loss with strength and courage. We know that our beloved Rufus no longer suffers, and will live on in many precious memories. May they be treated with care and respect, as he has enriched our lives; and I pray that we may enrich the lives of others. Amen

Every
your life and changes everything.

once in a while a Dog enters

Rufus was just such a dog. He was my best friend, as he was

individually to each member of our family. That was his very unique and very special characteristic. He had the ability to make you feel as though he were your friend exclusively, independent of everyone else. For me, some of the best and most relaxing times I have ever spent were on our hundreds of walks over the years. I would talk to him and tell him anything that was on my mind at the time and he would listen attentively. Mostly, I would speak about my plans for the future. I always promised Rufus that we would someday live on a farm in eastern Tennessee or western North Carolina with a view of the Smoky Mountains.

Among the many things that I promised him that we would share
together would be to take long walks on our property without a leash. We would walk as far as he wanted to go and I would follow, because we owned everything that he could see and it was all fenced in, so he would always be safe. Momma might still need to pick him up in the car, as she often did, because many times he would just decide that he was done with his walk and simply lie down wherever he was and wait. That was fine with us. Momma was always happy to assist. In the dreams that I shared with him it never dawned on me that he would not be there to share them with me. I always envisioned that Rufus would just go on forever. At least that he would continue on as long as I did. He was so big and strong and beautiful. A weakness in him was simply never contemplated. I never contemplated cancer or the effect it would have on one of Gods truly noble creatures. Someday I will have that view of the mountains and he will sit beside me again, just as he always has, though not in the same form. We will however, 3

enjoy the view together and when the sun sets I will take him back to his place of honor on the mantle above the fireplace to await the dawn. When my time comes I will meet up with him again at the Rainbow Bridge and there we will stroll over Heaven never to be parted again. Rufus, I know and believe that you are aware of how profoundly I miss you, as does everyone, the pain I expect will never fully subside and I look forward to the day when I see you again.

There are not enough superlatives to adequately express how everyone who knew him felt
about him. What is clear, however, is that his impact was profound and he will remain a part of them for the rest of their lives. I believe they would say that they are simply better people because they had the opportunity to know him and therefore to love him. Maybe, just maybe, that is why we were blessed by God to have had him for the short time that we did. The best that I can do in these few pages is to give the reader a fleeting glimpse into a great and loyal friend who was the essense of strength, grace and gentleness. In words and pictures I shall hope to do justice to Rufus, to those defining characteristics that we all knew and loved, while those precious memories are still fresh in my mind and the pain of his loss is still so pronounced in my heart.

From the very beginning and without any direction, Rufus always intuitively knew exactly
what a pillow was for and frequently made good use of them.

Rufus

was a combination birthday present/Christmas gift for our son. Technically, he

belonged to our son, who named him, but over time, Rufus assured everyone that he belonged to no one while at the same time, he was everyones. When my wife and I, on a whim, went to see the available basset hounds for sale that Saturday morning we each looked at Rufus, then instantly looked at each other and from that point forward there was no hesitation when it came to picking the one we wanted. He was the runt of 4

a litter of 12 and was truly different from the rest. We realized the moment we saw him that he was the one for us. He was separated from the others due to a recent hernia surgery. How beautiful and playful he looked as he ran back and forth in his pen, causing the others to follow and fall into a pile. He did it time and again and always they fell for it. This little guy was playful, smart and funny. When we drove him home he was just a little puppy lying on my wifes chest as she sat in the passenger seat of the truck. They bonded instantly. He and I took a little more time to get to know each other, as did our son while Rufus would lie outside his room almost every night while he worked at his computer. Rufus would ultimately grow to be 92 lbs. of the gentlest, most lovable and pliable plush toy one could ever hope to have. His photos, as beautiful as they are, do not do justice to the velvet softness of his coat, the intensity of his colors nor the size of his heart. Often Rufus would silently stalk around the house like a panther and without any warning he would be inches away from your face, surprising the daylights out of you. Many times I believed that he thought it was funny. As was sometimes said, he has every human trait but the gift of speech, although for us who knew him best, we never misunderstood what he was doing or what he wanted.

One of my earliest impressions of Rufus is that he always reminded me of

the main character in the great childrens classic, Ferdinand the Bull. In case you dont know the story, Ferdinand is a gentle little bull in Spain. He prefers sitting quietly under a tree, minding his own business, just smelling the flowers, to jumping around, snorting and butting heads with other bulls. Ferdinand is certainly no coward; he simply has his pacifist priorities clear. As he grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, until the day he meets with the wrong end of a bee. In a show of bovine irony, the one day Ferdinand is most definitely not sitting quietly under a tree (due to a recent sting), is the same day that men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull of all. They pick Ferdinand, much to their surprise as they learn too late (after he is put into the ring) of his inherently mellow disposition.

Rufus was classic Ferdinand. Although, a gentle soul at heart, who preferred to remain on the
porch when someone approached, Rufus definitely viewed his role as the protector of his family. He was a great watchdog, with great hearing, excellent eyesight and a booming bark. No one ever approached the house without Rufus hearing them first and warning everyone else. He certainly expected you to take care of whatever the issue was, but he let you know that they were there. He would always stay near the front door but you knew they were coming.

A unique characteristic he possessed was a fear of UPS trucks, the driver or

anything that came off of them. When stopping to deliver at our house, and sometimes when he 5

had no delivery, the UPS guy would always bring all three dogs a treat, but he would hand to Noah and Kelly their treat at the fence line. We would bring Rufus his treat as he stood on the porch barking. He would, of course, take it gratefully, after all he was a gentleman, but as soon as the truck started to drive off, in a show of strength and bravado, Rufus would run after the truck as far as the front yard fence would allow. Although he had no reason to be, he was very wary of men (never women) and would back away from anyone in a uniform. He was, as many dogs are, very afraid of thunder, fireworks or other loud noises. Rufus, however, took it to another level. The 4th of July and New Years Eve were not nights of celebration in our house but times to console a terrified Rufus while he continuously looked for the quietest place in the house to hide from the noise. Invariably it was on our sons bed in his room because that was where he felt safest. Although usually not fearful of loud noises, on one occasion Noah climbed up onto our sons bed with Rufus to spend the night and console him. Needless to say, our son spent the entire night at his computer while keeping a watchful eye on both of them. All three were better for the experience.

Rufus loved to play with grasshoppers. He was fascinated by them but would
never want to hurt them in any way. He would simply lie down in front of them and watch. When they hopped away he would follow and gently pick them up in his mouth, being careful not to harm them. He then brought them back to where he was and place them gently on the ground and watch them some more. Im sure the poor little grasshopper was terrified, but Rufuss only intent was pure amusement and curiosity. On one occasion he accidentally crushed one in his mouth, killing it, and I believe it broke his big heart. I never remember him playing with grasshoppers again.

My most precious and recurring memories are simply coming home from work every day to
see his excitement at my arrival or sitting in the front yard for hours on end with him sitting or laying on the ground next to me. If I came outside after he was already resting on the ground, he would almost always, on his own accord, get up and come and lay down beside the chair that I was sitting in. He didnt do or say anything; he just wanted to be near me. I noticed and I truly loved it. To think that I shall never have that feeling again is too painful to contemplate. Rufus had a long flowing beautiful tail and when he was happy, which was often, it would twirl like a helicopter blade. Sometimes we actually thought he might go airborne. Although Noah would bark incessantly at my arrival home, Rufus never did. He would never waste a bark on such an occasion. That only occurred if someone he didnt know showed up at the house or he wanted something specific like food or a treat or his precious Honey Nut Cheerios. Regular Cheerios were simply not good enough.

Certainly it has been so very painful for everyone to deal with his loss, but none I believe more
so than Noah. I say that because Noah simply doesnt and cant understand what happened to his best friend. He simply left one day and never returned. I call Noah my 60 pound heart with feet. He is love in its purest form and he and Rufus were virtually inseparable and completely devoted to each other. They were called bookends for a reason.

It has been so hard for Noah to understand, let alone accept, life without Rufus. He sits outside
and waits for him to come home. He cries and howls but Rufus cant hear him. They say that time heals all wounds, but they could be wrong on this one. We have had Noah since he was nine months old. Although he experienced three abusive homes and a temporary placement in a foster home before he came to his forever home, I dont believe that he has ever experienced a true broken heart before. It is clear that he doesnt like it. All we can do to help him is to be patient and to love him. His little sister, Kelly Renee, doesnt understand either but seems to be adjusting a little easier.

Noah would say, if he could,

This is my

big brother Rufus, when he was young enough to climb onto this bench. He loved to sit there for hours and just look around. I think he thought that he was King of the World. Well, he was King of my World. I miss you Roo Man and I always will. Your best buddy, Noah.

I do believe that both Kelly Renee Now he is watching over them.

and Noah

had an understanding

on some level that he was ill. Toward the end Rufus would be lying out in the yard and they would stay close to him as though they were watching over him.

My Precious Rufus

You were Regal, playful, strong, oh so sweet, very stubborn at times and always independent. Sometimes you were very dependant in that you needed special care which you accepted ever so graciously. But above all, you were the most loyal and loving companion and friend a family could ever be blessed to know, and Blessed we were.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals that had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....never to be parted again. Author unknown...

Rufus, On To Glory

Rest in Peace We Will Always Love You We Will Always Miss You We Will See You Again Mom, Dad, Donald, Noah, and Kelly Renee

Sweet Rufus

Rev. 2-28-13

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