"Ever forward, slowly”.
So I'd like to take a few minutes to talk about the good, the bad, and the willy about this weekend.
My aunt patty was an amazing woman. she was always one of my favorite aunts and that will never go away. I swear, only the most incredible, lively,inspriring, loving life people are taken from us too soon and unexpectedly. ONly the ones with the most amazing family left to grieve. only the ones who dont deserve to go so soon.
My aunt did live a full and wonderful life, but it was still too soon. we were all shocked.
something most of my friends dont know is that patty was an incredible dog trainer. one of the best in the world. but thats not even the most amazing thing.
she was not a strict, evil, dog choker, abuser to get her way. she created a system of positive reinforcement. she never hit her dogs, never hurt them. she loved them. she gave them treats and treated them with such care and respect. this is how she got them to be amazingly obedient.
i knew she was nationally known. go to google.com and look up patty ruzzo, as my mom says, and just look at what you find. its inspiring.
and she was inspirational. dog people, so we call them, across the nation seek out pattys clinics, tapes, advice, coaching, lessons, and friendship. the paper that held patty's obituary recieved tons of emails about her from across the nation. everyone loved her and admired her, even if they only met once.
i was amazed on saturday, at her "celebration of life" simply at all the dog people. all the hysterical, upset, grieving dog people. she was their leader. their one of a kind. i was amazed that so many of them claimed that she "changed their lives". my uncle terry, her husband, said "i yelled at my golf instructor, how come you never chagned my life! you can't even fix my golf swing". and its true, how many people can say that they have changed someones life, and even then, so many people?
and then, i witnessed something amazing saturday as well. a man came up to my grandpa (as 50 or so had to express condolences and say how amazing she was) and he said that he was the night watchman of the place that she worked at. he said he only saw her a few times and only worked during the day but tree times or so. but she was amazing and always very nice to him. he said that it was amazing what she did with her dogs.
i mean just to touch the lives of so many random people is incredible. and thats waht she did. she inspired everyone. you really should have seen these dog people.
she was writing her own book. she handed in her last draft on monday, two days before she passed. talk about amazing. things like that. just amazing. something special in the world i cant quite describe.
so it was an incredibly rough weekend, definitely the worst experience with death in my life up to this point. cared about her so much. definitely difficult to see my parents in such pain. my whole family grieving. she was really, truly loved. her family, her poor husband and kids. so terrible.
when i was leaving on saturday night, i gave my uncle terry another big hug and he just said, "dont hug me, go hug your mother".
believe me, do it. i couldnt even imagine if it was her, or my sister. ive always loved and appreciated them, but its just, you have to say it, you have to show it. you never know when its too late. so mom, dad, nic, and tom, i know you guys read this, i love you all so much. you mean the world to me. thankyou for everything.
i guess an almost slogan of the weekend has been a phrase that my aunt used with her apprentices in the dog world.
"ever forward, slowly" and so, moving on, ever forward slowly.
My aunt patty was an amazing woman. she was always one of my favorite aunts and that will never go away. I swear, only the most incredible, lively,inspriring, loving life people are taken from us too soon and unexpectedly. ONly the ones with the most amazing family left to grieve. only the ones who dont deserve to go so soon.
My aunt did live a full and wonderful life, but it was still too soon. we were all shocked.
something most of my friends dont know is that patty was an incredible dog trainer. one of the best in the world. but thats not even the most amazing thing.
she was not a strict, evil, dog choker, abuser to get her way. she created a system of positive reinforcement. she never hit her dogs, never hurt them. she loved them. she gave them treats and treated them with such care and respect. this is how she got them to be amazingly obedient.
i knew she was nationally known. go to google.com and look up patty ruzzo, as my mom says, and just look at what you find. its inspiring.
and she was inspirational. dog people, so we call them, across the nation seek out pattys clinics, tapes, advice, coaching, lessons, and friendship. the paper that held patty's obituary recieved tons of emails about her from across the nation. everyone loved her and admired her, even if they only met once.
i was amazed on saturday, at her "celebration of life" simply at all the dog people. all the hysterical, upset, grieving dog people. she was their leader. their one of a kind. i was amazed that so many of them claimed that she "changed their lives". my uncle terry, her husband, said "i yelled at my golf instructor, how come you never chagned my life! you can't even fix my golf swing". and its true, how many people can say that they have changed someones life, and even then, so many people?
and then, i witnessed something amazing saturday as well. a man came up to my grandpa (as 50 or so had to express condolences and say how amazing she was) and he said that he was the night watchman of the place that she worked at. he said he only saw her a few times and only worked during the day but tree times or so. but she was amazing and always very nice to him. he said that it was amazing what she did with her dogs.
i mean just to touch the lives of so many random people is incredible. and thats waht she did. she inspired everyone. you really should have seen these dog people.
she was writing her own book. she handed in her last draft on monday, two days before she passed. talk about amazing. things like that. just amazing. something special in the world i cant quite describe.
so it was an incredibly rough weekend, definitely the worst experience with death in my life up to this point. cared about her so much. definitely difficult to see my parents in such pain. my whole family grieving. she was really, truly loved. her family, her poor husband and kids. so terrible.
when i was leaving on saturday night, i gave my uncle terry another big hug and he just said, "dont hug me, go hug your mother".
believe me, do it. i couldnt even imagine if it was her, or my sister. ive always loved and appreciated them, but its just, you have to say it, you have to show it. you never know when its too late. so mom, dad, nic, and tom, i know you guys read this, i love you all so much. you mean the world to me. thankyou for everything.
i guess an almost slogan of the weekend has been a phrase that my aunt used with her apprentices in the dog world.
"ever forward, slowly" and so, moving on, ever forward slowly.