Five Things To Know About Goodbyes

It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.

Ernie Harwell

Today, our family says goodbye to Cody.

If you remember from a year ago, our family welcomed Cody to our family. To read about his entry into our family, you can click here.

Cody joined our family when he was seven weeks old. He was a tiny light-yellow fur-ball. We knew he would be only joining our family for a short time. He had a purpose, and we were assigned a role in helping him prepare for his purpose.

Cody is a Seeing Eye Puppy. He was bred for the purpose of helping blind or visually impaired people. Our assignment has been to help him grow through his early puppy stages. We were responsible for getting him acclimated to the public. And we were supposed to teach him basic commands like sit, rest, and down.

We’ve taken him to New York City, to our local Target, to the library, to church, on a bus, and on a train.

It hasn’t always been easy. He has chewed a couple of window sills. He left a couple of pee stains. And his yellow hair is dispersed throughout our house.

Today, Cody heads to Morristown, NJ where he will begin the next phase of his journey. He will go through a medical exam. He will be placed with a trainer. He will learn all the essentials for guiding someone who cannot see. And if all goes well, Cody will be matched with a blind person. And Cody will become a guide and friend for someone special.

Saying goodbye is bitter-sweet. It’s tough to say goodbye to our four-legged friend who has certainly captured our hearts. And it’s exciting to know that Cody may have the opportunity to change someone’s life forever.

Cody’s departure is a reminder that there are several things we can learn about goodbyes.