Friend

woof 2, originally uploaded by Justin Davis Davanzo.

A friend of mine told me earlier in the week that the reason she was down (which was very obvious to me) was that her dog of 14 years had to be put down a few weeks back. As she was telling me, she began to cry and for me, having been through it with Marco, my own dog, and with another dear friends dog, it was very easy to understand and feel the sadness as well. The loss of a friend, but not just any friend...it is so different with a dog...the energy they have, the quirks, the trouble they get into, the routine every morning, the excuse to take a walk, the need to leave a party early so you can get home and let them out...the responsibility, but most of all the unconditional love. No questions, no judgement, just trust....you can see it in their eyes.

She asked, "what do i do now? What do I do with his ashes?"...
i shared what i did and do...I have had Marco's ashes with me ever since with his old collar and tags and picture out in the open in my studio or wherever he needs to be that means the most. That is my choice of course, but for me, i believe in his spirit and energy and get comfort from his essence still. But that can take a while...it took me a good 10 years to be more at peace with it.

Someday I will get another dog for sure....I was glad that she could open up and grieve, because that is the important thing to do when you lose your best friend...I think far too many people brush it off because it is "just a dog" or a pet....but it goes much deeper. So today, as i sit and write, i am reminded of the very moment and for once it makes me peaceful knowing that i am not the only one and that i feel loved still.

If you have a pet, love them up today....


Love and Understanding.