Memoir
/ˈmemˌwär/ noun. a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation. Usually memoirs. an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography. the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.
31 weeks of Memoir Monday! To be quite honest, this one tore me up. As painful as this was to revisit this is a memoir after all and the sole purpose is to preserve our most precious memories and Amstel sure was that for me.
Memoir Monday has grown so much that I won’t be able to comment on everyone’s posts anymore (and get my own work done) but I’ll still be supporting your posts with reblogs, votes, and shares on my other social media accounts (X, Facebook, etc.).
For all of those who’ve regularly participated in Memoir Monday - keep going, you’re making great progress in chronicling your very own life story for future generations to enjoy.
For those who missed the inaugural post explaining what the Memoir Monday initiative is all about you can find it here.
Now for next week’s Memoir Monday prompt:
Write about the first pet you've had in your life that comes to mind.
My answer:
This answer to this prompt was a no-brainer for me. His name was Amstel and he was a beagle who was part of our family from 2009 until 2023. Amstel was the first dog I helped to raise since I’ve become an adult.
We picked him up from where he was born in Litchfield, Minnesota and he was the last of his litter left. He was already four months old when we adopted him.
We later found out that he had a birth defect, a shortened sternum that left part of his heart unprotected from his breast bone. This birth defect is likely the reason he was the last of his litter to be adopted. We always say that others’ passed him over because he was meant for us.
I wasn’t aware but there are two main varieties of beagles, one for hunting and the other for show. Amstel was a hunting beagle. They’re typically more athletic, smarter and have way more energy. Amstel proved to be very intelligent and pure joy from day one with us. He was house trained in just shy of a week and was walking well on a leash in two weeks. He was such a good natured and comical dog. I swear he actually tried to make us laugh sometimes.
We really bonded in those first days together. It was March so there was still snow on the ground here in Minnesota and I built him an oval track with tunnels and hills so he could explore and run off that pent up puppy energy in the backyard. He absolutely loved playing in the snow. I would wear him out and then he’d come in and snuggle with Raymi to warm up and rest.
I taught him how to catch a frisbee. We walked in the woods. We logged probably thousands of miles of walks in parks and whichever neighborhood we were living in at the time. Amstel was a reluctant traveler but a great one, he rode to New York City with us when I was writing for the streaming tv series there. In his later years he became a “snow bird” and came with us twice on the four day trek to Sedona, Arizona as we escaped the worst of the Minnesota winter in the warm desert.
Our years together were some of the most enjoyable memories of my life but they went so incredibly fast!
Amstel spent his first six years of life in our house but then we sold it and he lived in two separate apartments with us until we bought another condo in the city and settled down for the remainder of his life. He became known as "The King of Cathedral Hill" (the name of our neighborhood) and was truly a local celebrity.
In his later years he honed his hunting skills completely as he perfected the art of coercing treats from US Postal workers and any delivery driver. He really became quite good at it.
These were the final two photos on my camera roll of Amstel in January of 2023. These were taken the night before we brought him to the vet. We hadn’t planned on letting him go that morning but that’s what happened. He took a turn for the worse in the exam room. In retrospect, I had been attempting to prepare myself for the inevitable and savoring each minute of last few months we shared more than usual. Amstel had suffered from congestive heart failure for a few years and the condition was clearly getting worse. My wife and I take comfort in the fact he was fairly active and enjoyed life until the end.
Life is so different without him. He loved us so unconditionally, so completely. His presence was pure comfort and joy. Like losing anyone you love, you never truly recover from it. You just learn how to keep living without them and remember the joy they brought you and the good times you shared as often as possible. Amstel will always be a part of our lives. I’m sure when our time comes he’ll be waiting impatiently right there at the rainbow bridge wondering what in the world took us so long. I’ll pick him up and tell him he’s a good boy, the best boy actually.
Rules of Engagement
- Please reblog this first post and share on other social platforms so we cast the widest net possible for this initiative;
- Pictures paint a thousand words. Include pictures in your posts if you have them;
- Answer each Memoir Monday prompt question in your own post. If possible, the prompt question will be published in the week prior so you'll have the entire week to answer and publish your own post;
- Have fun with it, don't worry about getting behind, or jumping into the project at any point after we've begun; and
- Lastly, be sure to include the tag #memoirmonday.
It's that simple.
At the end of the next twelve months we'll have created something immensely valuable together. It's so important to know our "whys" in life and there's no better way to do that than this.
Someday all that will be left of our existence are memories of us, our deeds, and words. It's up to you to leave as rich of a heritage as possible for future generations to learn from. So, go ahead, tell your stories. I can't wait to read them.
Be well and make the most of this day. I want to sincerely thank all of the participants thus far. I've really enjoyed reading your posts!
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