And Then, There Were 8 Feet

Fox, our little boy, passed on after midnight last Monday.

He was diagnosed with cancer January last year, and although the vet said he only had a couple of weeks to a few months left, Fox who sometimes had a stubborn streak, held on for another year.

It wasn't easy for us to carry on knowing this. We felt that he knew and he wanted so badly for all of us to get to Vancouver, so he tried his very best to wait. Most of you know we are immigrating to Canada, and when we made this decision three years ago was when we also started traveling. The plan was to sell our properties, leave our jobs and travel while we waited for our immigration to come through. But things didn't go as planned, and it affected our lives more than we could ever imagine. We still traveled (not as extensively as we hoped), and it got challenging for us to keep you updated through this blog. The good thing was we were all together, all 12 feet of us traveling as a unit, our own little family.

As we close this chapter on a somber note, we also want to tell everyone positive, more hopeful news. Our immigration finally went through. We didn't even need an interview with the Canadian embassy and we attribute this favorable outcome to all the people who have attested and supported our cause. Thank you to our dear families and friends who were behind us from the beginning, and to everyone who reads this blog. We are planning to move to Vancouver next week.

Sadly, what would have been a milestone for us as a family, and especially for a little dog who went through his own challenges from a simple and sometimes strenuous life in the Philippines all the way to living and traveling 16 states across the US, was hampered by his ailment. Through grieving hearts we remind ourselves that it's not about him getting to Canada, but rather living life to the fullest without pain or suffering. We made sure he had all the love and affection he could get, all the toys he could carry on trips, and all the Pupperonis he could snack on until he couldn't anymore.

When Fox and I left the Philippines, people said of him, "what a lucky dog". While that's unarguably true, it is I who is the real lucky one. I got to travel with my best friend to places beyond my expectations, without fear of being alone. He was always there for me. Even when he moved in with Chris one year before I did, he was there for me, for Chris, and Spencer.

With this we say goodbye to our Fox. Though your passing brings us a lot of sadness, we'll remember your life with us, full of travels, explorations, wonder, excitement and joy. We love you and we'll always carry your big smile in our hearts.


__________________________

..."To you I'm nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you'll be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world…"

"
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
 what is essential is invisible to the eye."

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry