Winston

What can you say about a piece of your heart living outside your body? What can you say when you lose that piece? Winston blessed us with his life and love for thirteen years. We don't have kids, he was our world and we gave him every luxury we could afford. One of our favorite places to visit is Cambria and the wine vineyards around town. Winston was so well behaved and gentle, everyone loved him and he was always with us wherever we went but he especially enjoyed Cambria's beaches and fields so we took him almost every single year. He loved running in the surf, loved playing frisbee and catching tennis balls on the sand, loved getting a bite of whatever delicious vacation food we were having that day. Winston loved meeting new people and he always greeted everyone with a smile on his beautiful face and a toy for them to play with.  We had so many friends cry with us when they found out he was diagnosed with cancer. He was so loved by so many people that it still makes me cry to think about it. 

Winston's best friend was Magellan, our Norwegian Forrest Cat, with whom he bonded as soon as we brought Magellan home. They were inseparable. Magellan would groom Winston and, although Winston outweighed him by fifty lbs,, Magellan knew his best friend would always cooperate and gently curl up next to him. After Winston passed away, Magellan was so depressed that he stopped eating and  would not leave his spot in the living room where he and Winston always played. 

Winston was diagnosed with Lymphoma in February of 2021. We took him to the Tustin Cancer Institute where Dr. Fiocchi and the amazing staff treated Winston with a variety of cancer meds for a year. He handled the treatments beautifully and we are so grateful to Dr. Fiocchi and staff for the loving care they gave Winston and for giving us another year with our beautiful boy. We were able to take him to Cambria one last time for a bittersweet farewell trip. 

Winston died at home with us nearby on March 3, 2022. Our house feels too empty and too quiet. All his friends miss him, both human and animal. 

Rest, my love, and wait for me.