Guest Blogger, Monica Armstrong

Bijou: a Jewel of Exquisite Craftsmanship

I am an artist work who has lived and worked alone but for my daily companion Bijou. Fifty pounds of personality, black fur and glowing eyes, she accompanied me through a tumultuous period of my life. She listened patiently to my fears and sorrows, and made me laugh in the midst of misery. Bijou was my jewel. To her, I was the most delightful person on the planet. Imagine! Was she nuts? No, she was my poodle, and I was her person.

One terrible day I lost this beloved friend. It seems unbelievable that losing my dog could evoke such depths of grief. Lost was unconditional love, daily laughter, moonlit walks, and fun in the snow. Lost was a fierce and loyal protector when danger lurked, who raced to check on me every time I sneezed…jumping up to ask Are you all right? Are you all right? It always made me laugh and say “I’m all right”…and I was.

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Bijou gave me thousands of hours in parks and woodlands. There was pure beauty in the sight of her flying after her ball. Pitching for her daily was a great incentive to work through my stiffness and pain from a surgery that affected my chest and arm muscles. She was a great caretaker of my health. She used her wet nose, eloquent eyes and insistent yips to declare “let’s play! Get up! Let’s go!”

Many a cold, dark night, I grumbled as I suited and booted up to go out in inclement weather only to gasp in pleasure at the sight of creamy clouds slinking across the face of a golden moon. There were hot and humid evenings when Bijou led me ambling into a twilit field, filled with the dancing fireflies. How many dawns and sunsets would I have missed with out her encouragement? Thousands!! 1

Bijou was 13 and vigorous almost to the end. I think I had convinced myself she would defy nature and live with me all my life. I have shed plenty of tears, politely and not so politely asked God to give her back to me. When I looked at pictures of her, it made me sadder. A dullness came over me, I couldn’t seem to shake it. Depression, anger, guilt, grief, came in waves.

Months after her death, I was still unable to concentrate on my work. One day, I gave up trying and succumbed to the lure of the darkened den. I searched for a movie that would distract me from my grief. I happened upon “Coco”, a story of connection with those we have loved and lost. Animated in brilliant color, the tale is set in the Land of the Dead. Charming as the story was, it was the presence of a dog, cat and bird as spirits that spoke most strongly to my heart.

As the closing credits scrolled I dashed to my neglected studio determined to make a spirit portrait of my beloved companion. I laid out a sheet of paper as black as the void I was feeling. While sketching her in with a white pencil, a ghostly figure emerged. It was strangely comforting to see her that way. It helped me accept her as Spirit, therefore not totally lost.

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I wanted to to show her personality and essence, not her physical self; girly, beautiful, athletic and graceful, funny and lively. I began to color her shape with blue. Soon, memories of the acres of sky under which we walked and played so often began to soothe my heart.

Multicolored flowers began to form. Bijou’s flying, furry ears became joyful flags, her jaunty pompoms turned pink and blue. Rainbow wings sprouted from her shoulders and a radiant glow flowed from her bottomless heart.

I felt comforted as I expressed the joy of our mutual love and care for each other. I found myself smiling again. Bright and beautiful memories swept away the dark days of loss as I felt her spirit emerge. I no longer linger over photos of her now. I have Bijou’s Spirit Portrait. It always makes me smile and remember the joy of our life together.

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It is undeniable that our pets are a divine gift in our lives. We learn the enduring wisdom of forgiveness, generosity, patience, tolerance and a giving heart from them. Pet Spirit Portraits are an opportunity to capture the spirit of your pet, and that special relationship, and if needed, to receive support in the process of healing. From your story I draw the inspiration to create a portrait that will keep the spirit of your cherished pet close with this unique keepsake.

Thursday, February 6, 2020 | The Middletown Press By Cassandra Day

HADDAM — An award-winning author from Killingworth who has written two memoirs about her experiences with a deaf Dalmatian that she taught to understand American Sign Language has penned a new children’s book. Connie Bombaci’s third book, “Hogan’s Hope: Finding a Forever Home of Love and Acceptance,” is what she hopes is the first in a series written specifically to help teach young children learn to love and accept one another despite their differences, she said.

Bombaci, an award-winning author, also wrote “Hogan’s Hope: A Deaf Hero’s Inspirational Quest for Love and Acceptance” and “Hogan’s Hope: A Deaf Dog, A Christian’s Faith, A Courageous Journey.” Hogan is among the 12 percent of Dalmatians that are born with congenital deafness. Nearly twice that number are deaf in one ear, according to Bombaci. But with a pocket-sized handbook on sign language, Bombaci said she taught Hogan two signs — “sit” and “cookie” — within the first 24 hours. Over the course of 13 years, Hogan learned 75 different signs, including “stay,” “jump,” “papa,’ “I love you,” and even his name, signed with a letter “H,” Bombaci said.

Hogan died in 2008. But the idea for the stories about the dog came to her in 1996. With the first two books under her belt, Bombaci in 2018 won gold and bronze medals in the readers favorite category, the Dan Poynter Legacy Award, and earned gold status for her book trailer video, as well as in the nonfiction animals/pets category. Her first children’s book was written in response to readers’ requests, she said. All proceeds will go to charity.

Bombaci recently gave a presentation on the book to second-grade students at Burr District Elementary School in Higganum. The visit included a video, storytelling and reading. “Our presentation’s purpose is to spread the message that hope prevails for everyone, no matter what the hurdle,” Bombaci said.

Burr school literacy coach, Judy Nacca, said the program, which included a visit from Bombaci’s Dalmatian Judea, captivated the children. “Our second-graders were transfixed by Connie’s moving story of Hogan, and her accompanying videos showcasing his amazing journey. Her mantra of how essential it is to accept and love others was threaded throughout her presentation. “When Judea came out to meet the students, it was as though we’d all won the love lottery. I can’t describe the joy in the room. This was one of the most meaningful experiences by a guest author I’ve had in my 17 years in elementary education,” Nacca added.

Second-grade students enjoy visiting with Judea, deaf dog.

Bombaci introduced the idea that “everyone is worthy of love and acceptance, and that with hope, anything is possible.” Her new book aligns with school curricula that encourage young people to set themselves on a path in order to reach their full potential. “Our children deserve the encouragement to believe that, no matter what the challenge in life, everyone is worthy of acceptance and love and that the fulfillment of their hopes is indeed possible,” Bombaci said. “Knowing that our schools’ mission is to ensure that our students are engaged in a positive and nurturing learning environment that helps them develop intellectually, emotionally and socially, the newly published book is a perfect fit,” Bombaci said.

Bombaci first met Hogan at the Connecticut Humane Society in October 1993 after realizing her black Labrador needed a playmate, she said. Her husband was unconvinced they needed a second dog, but eventually gave in — with stipulations, Bombaci said. He wanted a male dog about the same age as their other one, who weighed about 55 pounds. He also insisted they adopt a neutered and short-haired canine. “He was sure that I wouldn’t find another dog meeting those qualifications,” she said. Bombaci accepted the challenge, and set off to call every rescue center she could find, including the Connecticut Humane Society. Many dogs were up for adoption, including a deaf Dalmatian, but Bombaci missed the canine’s full description, which said it was hearing-impaired, she said. “I didn’t hear ‘deaf,’ and became extremely excited. I wish that the public realized that the myths about our special-needs animals are untrue, and that they are all worthy of love and acceptance. Like any human who has special needs, we need to make adaptations and adjustments,” Bombaci said. She knew animals of all types — just like people — thrive on tender, loving care and attention. “Our wonderful animals deserve good care, love, and acceptance no matter what the difference, just as we would do for any human with a difference or challenge,” Bombaci said.

For information, visit Hogan’s Hope Book on Facebook.com/conniebombaci and https://conniebombaci.com.

‘Everyone is worthy of love and acceptance’ By Cassandra Day Hearst Connecticut Media file photo Connie Bombaci signs a command for her deaf Dalmatian, Judea, at her home in Killingworth on April 6, 2018.