A year and a half ago I found an old, chocolate lab wandering aimlessly in a nearby field. Long story short, we adopted him. He was about 15 then which makes him over 100 now. Despite his advanced years, he would prance around on his stiff old legs, goose me for the heck of it, and loved to play "Big Brown Bear" (he'd lay on the floor while I pretended to attack him with my hand and he would pretend to bite me with his few, remaining teeth).
For months he has been barking in the middle of the night, sometimes for help up, sometimes just for the company. The lack of sleep and cleaning up his "messes" (the carpet is going to the dump) has been hard, but now that he can no longer get up on his own and I know he is in pain, it is time to say goodbye.
Last night as I sat with him, knowing that it was his last night, I prayed to my dear, departed, dog lovers to take him to that big, sunny meadow in the sky. The image of him frolicking with my father and others - happy and free of pain, got me thru the night even if I don't really think that that's the way it goes down.
We will be with him today when he "passes". I can't think past that now. Hank will be greatly missed, I know that much.
What a beautiful haunting picture.
ReplyDelete