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Birthday - a symbolic gesture
14 years ago
General
How many of you watched M*A*S*H? That TV series that's bounced around on channels like FX and the Hallmark Channel. Do you remember much about it? Did you ever see the last episode? The last episode was rather emotional to begin with, but there was always one scene that stood out in my mind.
In the final episode, one of the male leads, a character by the name of "B. J. Hunnicutt", laments about having just missed his daughter's birthday. The war was so close to being over, he was so close to being home, but he would still be in Korea for a few days before he could go home. So, the rest of the characters threw him a surprise party. One of the refugee families that was moving through the area had a daughter about the same age as Hunnicutt's daughter. So, the characters got together with the family and threw a party for Hunnicutt, where he could celebrate it with that little girl since he couldn't be home with his own daughter.
It brought such a smile to his face. While he held the girl in his lap and gave her a kiss on the head, he asked how in the world they found a girl with the same birthday as his own daughter. They told him that these families don't own calenders or really keep track of time well, so the girl was around the same age as his daughter, but nobody knew when she was actually born.
With a tear in his eye, Hunnicutt looked at the little girl and said, "I could think of no greater gift in the world than to finally get your very own birthday".
It was a scene that always stuck in my mind. And I had it in my mind when I was planning something.
This morning, about 8:30am, I found out that Banshee (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6241794) had a "reserve" placed on her by a family very, very interested in adopting her out of the HOPE program. She's going to be adopted within the next few days. I'll never see her again.
I hadn't told anybody this, but I was planning something. One thing refugees and stray dogs have in common is that they don't know their birthday. It gets lost in the chaos from being one of the lost and forgotten. So, on whatever day in the future I was hoping to adopt Banshee, I was going to make that day her birthday. I was going to give her a big, fluffy pet bed and spend all day walking her around her new home neighborhood. It would be her special day, something nobody could ever take away from her. Pet beds get torn up and worn out, doggie treats come and go, but she'd always have her day. The day I'd celebrate every year with her -- the day that she brought all that joy into my life.
When I was having trouble sleeping, I'd pass the time by practicing saying "welcome home", and "happy birthday". I'd practice it so much because I felt like those were the most important words I'd ever say in my life. And I wanted to get it just perfect. Now I know I'll never be able to say those words to her.
The day she was placed on reserve (all but adopted), was yesterday, November 11. 11/11. Seems easy enough to remember. And since Banshee is about 3 or 4 years old, that would make her birthday 11/11/2008. So there you go my baby girl. Happy birthday. I'll never be able to celebrate it with you, but at least now you have one. I hope your new family loves you just as much as I do, and I hope they take great care of you.
I feel like I've lost a daughter. A daughter I only begun to know. Her time with me was so short, and yet in that short time she showed me so much love and loyalty. There have been dogs that I have certainly known for a longer period of time at the dog shelter. Many have come and gone in the years I've helped out there. But none of them have bonded with me to the degree, nor in the short time of span, as Banshee did. My baby girl. I'm told it's going to be a very loving home. At least she won't be in that filthy prison any longer.
In the final episode, one of the male leads, a character by the name of "B. J. Hunnicutt", laments about having just missed his daughter's birthday. The war was so close to being over, he was so close to being home, but he would still be in Korea for a few days before he could go home. So, the rest of the characters threw him a surprise party. One of the refugee families that was moving through the area had a daughter about the same age as Hunnicutt's daughter. So, the characters got together with the family and threw a party for Hunnicutt, where he could celebrate it with that little girl since he couldn't be home with his own daughter.
It brought such a smile to his face. While he held the girl in his lap and gave her a kiss on the head, he asked how in the world they found a girl with the same birthday as his own daughter. They told him that these families don't own calenders or really keep track of time well, so the girl was around the same age as his daughter, but nobody knew when she was actually born.
With a tear in his eye, Hunnicutt looked at the little girl and said, "I could think of no greater gift in the world than to finally get your very own birthday".
It was a scene that always stuck in my mind. And I had it in my mind when I was planning something.
This morning, about 8:30am, I found out that Banshee (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6241794) had a "reserve" placed on her by a family very, very interested in adopting her out of the HOPE program. She's going to be adopted within the next few days. I'll never see her again.
I hadn't told anybody this, but I was planning something. One thing refugees and stray dogs have in common is that they don't know their birthday. It gets lost in the chaos from being one of the lost and forgotten. So, on whatever day in the future I was hoping to adopt Banshee, I was going to make that day her birthday. I was going to give her a big, fluffy pet bed and spend all day walking her around her new home neighborhood. It would be her special day, something nobody could ever take away from her. Pet beds get torn up and worn out, doggie treats come and go, but she'd always have her day. The day I'd celebrate every year with her -- the day that she brought all that joy into my life.
When I was having trouble sleeping, I'd pass the time by practicing saying "welcome home", and "happy birthday". I'd practice it so much because I felt like those were the most important words I'd ever say in my life. And I wanted to get it just perfect. Now I know I'll never be able to say those words to her.
The day she was placed on reserve (all but adopted), was yesterday, November 11. 11/11. Seems easy enough to remember. And since Banshee is about 3 or 4 years old, that would make her birthday 11/11/2008. So there you go my baby girl. Happy birthday. I'll never be able to celebrate it with you, but at least now you have one. I hope your new family loves you just as much as I do, and I hope they take great care of you.
I feel like I've lost a daughter. A daughter I only begun to know. Her time with me was so short, and yet in that short time she showed me so much love and loyalty. There have been dogs that I have certainly known for a longer period of time at the dog shelter. Many have come and gone in the years I've helped out there. But none of them have bonded with me to the degree, nor in the short time of span, as Banshee did. My baby girl. I'm told it's going to be a very loving home. At least she won't be in that filthy prison any longer.
I can't help but notice that your writings seem to have an emotional effect on me like no others. Thank you putting your heart into your words! It's so beautiful.