We are heartbroken and undone here today about losing our black Labrador Retriever of nearly 14 years. In a spontaneous act of sheer frivolity I put a bid in on him at the silent auction at the Coastal Carolina Chaplaincy annual dinner in January of 2002 and he has been with us ever since. It remains amazing that he came home that night with no warning and has been a surprising joy for and integral part of the Harmon five ever since.
He has somehow seen it all–three places to live, the children going from 12, 10 and not quite 9 to where they are now, all three secondary school and College graduations, my changing jobs and parishes to where I am now, Elizabeth earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice at MUSC and then joining the faculty there, three of the four of our own parents passing, and all the current twists, turns and travails of the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Diocese of South Carolina.
So many things changed, but except for our faith and our family, he was one of the only true anchors, the ultimate big brother, wagging his tail, astonishingly loyal to each Harmon, glad to be alive and part of it all. The world is a sadder place because he is gone, but we are all the better from having been given God’s gift of Shakan, whose name means to dwell, and dwell with us he did–KSH.