Welcome to Colleen’s Corner. This is a column meant for fun and some information About myself: I am a Freelance Photographer you often see me on the side of the road or in various places taking photos of different things animals, birds, places, people etc. l have lived in Lumby for over 8 years, you have seen my photos in the newspaper (Lumby Valley Times) and once in awhile in the Vernon Morning Star, and the Lumby Art Gallery. Photography is my passion. Disclaimer: The information on some of my photos that I write about a lot of times come from the Internet or books I research them, hopefully the facts are as close to the truth as I can come.
By Colleen Fielding
Can your heart repair itself like your liver? I have to wonder about this as another piece of my heart has been broken.
When the little Robin kept coming to my windows following me from my kitchen to my living room, I thought maybe it was Jack, my little dog I lost in August 2024. I kind of think it still was. I think he came back to guide his mom in her transition. When his mom was starting to lose her sight, Jack became her guide dog. When Jack passed she cried in the night, she too was missing him.
My beautiful little girl Mando-Lynn passed away in my arms on Tuesday March 25, 2025. The little Robin (Jack) came around for a couple of days after Mando-Lynn passed away; he hasn’t been here since.
I am feeling a great loss. I have always had two or more pets at the same time, and when one of them passed away there was another one to be with. I helped them through their grieving, and they helped me through mine. I still wasn’t quite over Jack yet and now his mom is gone too. My house feels so empty now. I keep waking up in the middle of the night to find her, some nights I don’t sleep at all. When I am on my couch I keep waiting for her to nudge my knee to tell me she wants to come up on the couch and lay down beside me.
The last time I did not have any pets I was in my twenties, and as you know I am older than that now. My pets tend to have a long life with me, and I appreciate that so much. I have had cats living to 18 years and dogs living to 16.5 years. Mando-Lynn’s partner Maestro lived to be 15; he passed away in 2020. her son Jack was 14.5 he passed away August 7 2024 from cancer of the lymph nodes, most of my pets have lived long lives
Mando-Lynn was 18 years, 9 months, and 25 days old (making her age to be about 132.3 in human years) she would have turned 19 in June 2025. Mando-Lynn has been the pet that has lived the longest with me. It’s very hard when you have something that long to let go easily.
When Maestro passed away in 2020 someone had said to me that it was just a dog and I should get over it. This is not true for me as it is for most pet owners that love their pets a lot. Our pets are our families. We love them as we love the people in our lives. When they are with us we thrive on the time we have with them, it could be going for a walk, playing games with them, snuggling, and other things. When we are hurt, or sick they feel our pain, when we are feeling good they feel our joy. When they leave us we feel their loss, and we grieve for what can never be there again.
When you see me out and about, I might smile and laugh, as I try to keep my emotions in check. When I come home that is when I feel the pain of my losses again, I try not to weep and sometimes I don’t, then other times it gets too much and the tears flow.
I miss Mando-Lynn very much, I miss them all. I know one day I will feel better. When the sun shines everyday a part of my heart will grow back again.
Rest In Peace my beautiful little girl Mando-Lynn June 1 2006- March 25, 2025 Hold My Heart it’s Beating For You Anyways.
