What I Learned Today

This weekend mom and dad went on a road trip without me. This is not allowed in my world! I was sad to stay behind, even though Amanda came and hung out with Molly and me, because I felt like I was missing out on my next great adventure.

When they finally came home, I was so excited to see them and to get some uninterrupted belly rubbing. Molly grabbed our orange stuffed duck and raced to the door as soon as we saw them pull up. I immediately pounced on Molly and stole said duck and presented it to mom and dad as my own.

Later, when mom and I were talking, I asked her why they had to go away and leave me at home. She told me they went to a funeral.

Hmm? I did not know what that was, but it had the word fun in it, so I figured it was something exciting and F-U-N. Right?

I asked for further clarification.

Mom explained that a funeral is what people have when someone dies.

I still needed a bit more, so we talked about the rainbow bridge. The rainbow bridge is where dogs and cats and other animals go when they die.

I was still unclear.

We sat and talked about what is means to die, and she told me what they said about her friend Gayle this weekend at the funeral.

Mom told me that Gayle’s daughter said that even though her mom had died, she was still alive in the smiles of her grandchildren, and she was still alive in the words of the books they would read at night because Gayle loved to read, and she was still alive in the cookies they would bake because Gayle made great cookies. Then mom told me they said Gayle’s grandchildren would always know her, even though she isn’t here anymore, because they would share stories about her and laugh about her and think about her and that because they were loved, they would continue to love.

After that I thought about Tucker and Shannon and Tonka and Sabre and Daisy and Meiko and Cooper and Sandy and Blackie and Jeremiah and Maltese and Peanut and Dillion and so many other pets I have heard about but who I never knew. And I thought about the happiness that each of these pets brought into the lives of the people who knew them … and how because their people loved them when they were alive, their people now love me…and how it is all connected. We are loved—we love—we are loved—we love.

When someone dies, they are no longer “here”, but in such an important way, they are everywhere. When someone dies, they are no longer in our physical world, but they become an even bigger part of our emotional world. They become the sunsets we see because we watched a sunset with them once. They become the music that we listen to because they loved to sing and dance. They become the walks that we take because they loved the woods. They become the warm days because they hugged us. They remain in everything we are because they were them.

Mom and dad went away without me this weekend and it made me sad, but when they came home, we sat together and talked and what I learned mattered even more.

 I’m a dog, I love life, and I have flaws.  I’m perfect.  imperfect.  Just. Like. You.