10 years ago Stan & Anne came into my life, to get their adored Poppy.
To me, they were the perfect puppy owners. In the several weeks before they collected Poppy they came to visit us & I had several phone calls to them. I always thought then that just listening to Anne on the phone, she had a tinkle of brightness in her voice & I wasn’t wrong, Anne never seemed to be sad, always bright, what maybe called a sunny person!
Having collected Poppy I made & had several calls to them. Anne always answered & Stan was always in the background chipping in, but I always felt like I was talking to the both of them.
Poppy was a demon, digging Stan’s beautiful garden, with Anne confessing she filled many holes in before Stan noticed. Not once did they give up on that naughty puppy totally understanding that she got her sassy, stubborn “I will do what I want, when I want” personality from her grandmother Daisy.
Every year on Poppy’s birthday I called them to wish her a Happy Birthday & this year was no different with every year Anne saying to me “we knew you would call today!”
Anne ALWAYS asked how I was, always, & when my marriage broke down several years ago Anne & Stan were both deeply concerned & worried about me & the dogs. Again this year I called & told them about another relationship breakdown, but Anne never judged, she always had my welfare at the forefront of her mind & of course the dogs!
Breeding these beautiful Golden Retriever’s is a privilege & to place a puppy into the arms of people like Stan & Anne is an even bigger privilege, knowing that this little bundle of joy (or in Poppy’s case naughtiness) will heal broken hearts after losing much adored Golden’s.
When I had a call yesterday from Anne’s number, I thought the worse, I never in a million years thought that Anne had made the journey to the rainbow bridge to collect her beloved Golden’s gone before her, never.
Anne lit up a room without trying, her happy cheerful personality shone through, be it in person or on the phone, she always went out of her way too give advice, a cuddle, a cuppa, or just a ear to listen. I learnt from Stan yesterday that she saved people’s lives, just by being her, he joked that the conservatory often resembled the Samaritan’s waiting room! I did try to say that actually TOGETHER they made a great team, TOGETHER they healed broken heart’s & it was TOGETHER that they helped so many people.
Love like Stan & Anne had, that he said was love at first sight at the ages of 5 & 6 is so rare to find, but oh boy what an amazing team they made.
I know how very heartbroken Stan & Poppy are & I know that the family, be near or far have lost their shining star, the lovely lady they call wife, mum, Nan, sister, Aunt & actually life will never be the same, yet I know that Stan & Poppy will be enveloped by love from that extensive family & that Anne’s love & kindness shown to all, will have been passed to so many.
Rest in eternal peace lovely lady.
