My heart is heavy because this morning, we
took our beloved dog, Max, to the vet to be put to sleep. He was 14, a good innings for a large dog. He was sore a lot of the time: his
skin itched constantly and he suffered with hip dysplasia. And he was
uncomfortable: his arthritis was making it more and more difficult to move.
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| Max, the one and only |
But he lived to go to the beach. There, he
would forget his age and his pains, and he would frolic like a puppy. He would
wait at the front door, just in case someone tried to slip off without him.
After a life in suburbia, Max spent his last 18 months in his own paradise.
The morning was good to Max; the beautiful
calm weather meant that he could have that last jaunt to the beach. But then
he battled to walk up the little bank from the beach.
He was calm when he went, and I like to
think that he welcomed the relief. Maybe even, he’s now with the great love of
his life, Gypsy, our Irish terrier who died of biliary fever a few years before
we moved to this village. But that doesn’t make it any less sad.
So then I discover something else about
gardening: it helps healing. I start planting: turnips in the vegetable garden
and giant stocks in the non-indigenous section. I foliar feed absolutely
everything with earthworm “wee”. I pull out weeds. And I think of Max all this
time, his gentle presence: after the beach, the garden was his
favourite place to be. Somehow I feel a little lighter when I’m done.
Kind, gentle, wise Max. What a wonderful, soothing companion he was. He is free from pain now, and his spirit will walk beside you as you make your daily visits to the beach, and comfort you as you heal your broken heart working in the garden.
ReplyDeleteThat is so kind of you ... amazing how we become so close to these animals!
DeleteYes, and what an honour it is.
ReplyDeleteThere are some Native American tribes who say that when a beloved animal passes on you should look for a bird...something unusual, something rare, something that doesn't belong where it is. That's a sign that the animal is safe on the other side. It can be soon after the animal goes, or even a week later.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually believe in things like this, but somehow I've seen a special bird with all my departing dogs since I was told about this belief.
What a wonderful, comforting thought, Fiona. On the beach this morning, I kept thinking how much Max would have enjoyed the walk. Such a calm, blue day, and my heart was sore. Then I stopped to watch the cormorants on the rocks. One in particular drew my eye - he was perched on the top of the highest rock. Then a gull settled down next to him. I watched for a long time and even took some photographs (I will post these).
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