Every pet story is different. Every single, beautiful story of how a pet found their way into the life of an individual or a family is different. But, most, if not all of these stories, share commonalities. Most significant of those commonalities is that the lives of the pet and the human are touched in irrevocable ways. As the lives of my own pets dwindle through time, I remind myself of the incredible joy and love that pets produce for so many of us. Parting with our four legged family is one of the hardest parts of being a pet owner. Acknowledging the end of cuddles, kisses, pats on the head, car rides with heads out the window and hundreds of small moments that culminate in a relationship like no other is practically unbearable for animal lovers.
Our family dog, Lewis is beginning to succumb to the wears and tears of old age. He has trouble standing up and moving around due to old-age lumps and growths on his body. His eyes are clouding over and sometimes he no longer hears noises in his surroundings. The other day, while relaxing at home, Lewis began to breathe unsteadily, gasping for air as he lay on his side. My mom and I rushed over to comfort him and attempt to figure out what was causing him to struggle in such a way. It became emotional as Lewis’ breath slowed, his chest barely moving and beginning to harden. My mom whispered, "we love you, Lewis" and I grabbed his paw that he had raised supposedly for the last time.
To our surprise, he moved his head slightly and then resumed breathing. We opened the sliding door right next to him and he raised his head as we helped him to his feet. He began breathing normally again so we all ambled outside to shake off the erroneous goodbye.
That incident was a significant reminder to me that saying goodbye to a pet should include an “I love you” and a “thank you.” A thank you for being an unrelenting source of love and affection, joy and happiness. I urge anyone reading this to hug their pet for an extra minute today because time does not wait. One day, our furry friends will no longer be around. I’ll miss Lewis’ peculiar habit of carrying objects in his mouth while whining at a high pitch, the fact that he doesn’t chase squirrels and that he loves lying down next to car tires. But most of all, I’ll miss watching him interact with my other family members that love him so deeply. Although only around for a portion of our lifetime as humans, the love, intelligence and friendship displayed by our pets transcends the short, treasured years they share with us. Hug them tight today and smile at their quirks that you’ll miss long after the day when you must say goodbye.
