What is it about a dog?
Furry mammals, lower on the food chain, but companions and friends and
family members none the less. Our dog is
a boxer named Buffy, so named after that great female warrior, Buffy the Vampire
Slayer. She is by my side as I type, her
large head on my thigh. When she wants
to be pet, she nudges my right hand up and off the keyboard or mouse to receive
a scratch behind the ears. She forgives
me when I am gone and always welcomes me home wagging her entire tailless
butt. She jumps for joy at the thought
of her daily walk. She barks at folks
passing behind our fence, and squirrels. Buffy welcomes all once invited inside our home, and hundreds of
friends and colleagues and family members have grown to know her and vice-versa. While I watch TV reclined she
will bring me a toy so that we can play tug of war. Or, she used to.
Buffy has lung cancer and this morning I will take her to the
vet where she will sleep forever. She
will trust me until the very end. I’ll
return to an empty house and put away all the food and water bowls, pack up her
toys, and de-Buffy our home. I will
cry. I miss her already.
And I’ll wonder what it is about a dog.
So sorry about your doggy, Bob. In the past two weeks I have comforted two close friends in the loss of their 12 or 13 year old companions who have been loyal friends, when others have left or proved to be less than reliable.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to know what to say to them or to you except that your pet lived a wonderful life full of love, never really asking anything in return except for a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. Surely there is a dog heaven or maybe they will be with us there.
Thank you, my friend. Grief runs its course and there is little any of us can do to accelerate the process.
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