Lessons from our Furry Friends

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I awoke early ready to follow my morning rituals of shower, reading and checking social media. Today was different though in that I felt uneasiness. It was dark and I carefully navigated through the kitchen to check on Trudy, our 8 year old Duck Toller Retriever. It was with shock that my foot felt her soft fur at a location, which was unusual for her. I turned on the lights to discover our furry little friend, lifeless. Tears welled up in my eyes as I faced the difficult task of awakening my wife and daughter to tell them the news. It was a very rough day for the family.

Trudy had been struggling with health problems; however, the brightness in her eyes continued to send us messages filled with hope. Hope springs eternal, but in this case, our optimism came crashing down as we stared into Trudy’s eyes. This is not the first time that we have experienced the death of a pet, but for some reason, this hurt the most. I struggle to understand why. Maybe it was because Trudy was challenged by various handicaps including deafness and an immune deficiency brought about by a vet’s inoculation. Maybe it was because of her dependency on us that we felt closer, or more responsible. Maybe because she died alone in the night we felt we had abandoned her in her period of greatest need. I know, these things happen, but don’t try to convince my heart.

As I struggle to make peace with my feelings, the beauty of our canine friends strikes me. Why are their lives so much shorter than ours? Maybe they are messengers sent to remind us what it should be to be human? Dogs epitomize unquestioned love and loyalty. No matter how bad the behaviors of us human, dogs always forgive. In those inevitable times when you feel down, your furry friend detects your sadness and moves closer to stare into your eyes, as if to ask, how can I help? When you return home from work, your friend meets you at the door, tail wagging. Unquestioned love, forgiveness, loyalty, kindness, and reliability; these are the qualities of dogs. Maybe we should pay heed to our messengers and take their lessons to fill the holes in our souls created when they leave us.

I write this post to encourage all of us to remember what it should mean to be human. As we continue our journey along life’s road, seeking paths for inspiration and purpose, lets not forget that our lives are only as good as the foundation they are built upon. Look to our canine friends for guidance, for they are our teachers. Godspeed Trudy, you are missed and loved.