Man's Bestfriend

It was just a little past midnight- and a good friend described to me in full detail the last moments she shared with her dog today. I've only met this dog once- and yet I couldn't stop the tears from welling up in my eyes. And while I know it's not the loss of this particular dog that was causing my saddness- something deeper tugged at my chest. What triggered the streams down my cheeks was when my friend told me that when the "end" was near, Jada, the Rottweiler of only 8 years, looked happy: as if she knew what was about to happen- as if she knew her pain would be taken away momentarily. I'm not sure whether our conversation conjured supressed feelings of fear in regards to death in general, or whether I was just in need of releasing the emotional anxiety that's been building within me recently. Regardless of the reason, it felt good to cry. I could almost feel the "feel-good" hormones releasing in my brain as the tears fell. Lump in throat, burning eyes, quivering lip... I felt loss, I felt saddness, I felt compassion... I felt love.


I think the core of me could feel my friend's loss. I could feel her pain and anguish. As she spoke of the final moments, I envisoned what she may have seen. And while losing a pet is not the most devastating thing that can happen to us in our lifetime, it certainly doesn't make it any easier. There is no love in this world more unconditional than the love of a dog. So I take a deep breath, dry my tears, and give my little girl Roxy a big hug and kiss.

Roxy