Pay It Forward

The Cardigan world- no- the entire dog fancy- was dealt a cruel blow with the untimely death of Marieann Gladstone on Friday. I am sure that most of the people reading this have their own memories of Marieann, and share the immense sense of loss.

Personally, I cannot think of a single other person "in dogs" that had a greater influence on me- who I am- how I think- what my goals and aspirations are. Unfortunatly, I don't believe Marieann knew how much her influence meant to me. I know I never took the time to tell her- I always thought there would be another chance.

I was wrong.

Marieann was many things, to many people. She was more than my mentor; more than my friend. Although we might not always agree, I always respected her opinion. She taught me about dogs, yes; but more importantly, she taught me about myself. In her very quiet, but very firm way, she never let me get away with making excuses or accepting mediocrity. From Marieann I learned about ethics and standards and values; and I never had a chance to thank her.

I will always regret that.

While discussing the untimely loss of our mutual friend, and how badly I felt about never telling Marieann how I felt about her, another friend suggested that I "pay it forward." ~ that I share with others all the things that I learned from Marieann over the years.

So, over the next few weeks, in the pages of this blog, I will attempt to share with you all the things that Marieann taught me about. I don't have her wonderful way of gently getting the point across without stepping on anyone's toes, but hopefully no one will be unduly offended.

We have lost a great friend and a great asset to our breed. There is no way that I, or anyone, can make up for what she offered. In a large way, my sharing is a way for me to heal as much as it is a way to pay tribute to one of the finest people I have ever had the privelege of knowing, and being able to call a friend.

Blessings to all of you.