Farewell granny Linda
Posted on 5 August 2015.Among hundreds of stories of abandoned, abused, neglected donkeys, there are a few that fill our hearts: the ones that tell us of much loved donkeys, who arrived at our Rifugio after a lifetime of love and care.
And when we think of these stories, the first which comes to mind was always "granny" Linda's, who passed away last Monday at 30.
If you ever came to our Rifugio, you must have met and cuddled her: it was impossible to pass by the elderly donkeys stable without seeing her coming by and waiting to receive a certain dose of caresses.
She kept on doing this also in the very few good moments in the last weeks, while her strong yet old body seemed to change day by day into a donkey of glass - delicate, fragile, to handle with care.
And you should have seen the care with which she was treated by Marina, the person who shared with Linda more than twenty years of life and affection before taking her to our care: not at all as an act of selfishness or to get rid of her, but as an extreme, generous act of love.
For a whole month, Marina came to see Linda each evening; she brought tender grass and chicory, that her donkey loved so much, and thin slices of cool carrots to help her eat; to brush her while gently talking; to make her feel that she was there by her side.
And there's no doubt that Linda felt that love! How often, after a day inside her stable, without the strength and the desire to go out, it was Marina' voice calling which guided the donkey where her eyes were not longer able to lead.
Last Monday, the long life of Linda ended and Marina was there, by her side.
We can not know all the thoughts which have been in Linda's mind during this long goodbye, even though we believe that they were made of memories of green fields, healthy legs and many caresses. And we can only imagine those of her human friend Marina; as in all great loves, a large part, the most precious and beautiful, is only for those who live them.
What we can do is say goodbye to our granny donkey, to embrace those who remain and to hope that a bit of that endless love reaches those who need it most.
Linda had a beautiful life, the most beautiful that a donkey could wish for; and we feel lucky to have shared a part of it with her and Marina.