06 December 2007

Tragedy and Loss...


Today is not a good day! One of my dogs, Chockie, died suddenly this morning...Some of you might be inclined to think, "Snap out of it! It was just a dog!", how little do you understand the concept of a dog being a person's best friend! Those of you who have owned a pet and loved it like you love a family member will understand my loss and grief. The loss is raw and it is tragic because it was so sudden but it is also so new. This is probably the best time for me to write.

It is easy to say that she had a good life and the like but when it is all said and done she was but eight years old...that equates to 56 dog years but as far as I am concerned it was still way too early! The Zen Buddhism, fatalistic view of 'shit happens' does not quite fit the bill. I am probably more fatalistic about the life and death of people than I am of my own dog.

Chock had been a part of our family for eight years...it is strange how you recall the first couple of days after we 'found' her as a puppy. There was an intent that she would be an 'outside' dog but persistent crying and barking got her inside and she had been spoiled ever since.

Dogs truly are a person's best friend. They are loyal and they listen no matter what your complaint and they take it all in their stride. They snuggle up when your down and they make you laugh when you are sad. To lose that kind of companionship and friendship is the hardest part, it is the toughest.

Our dogs have been a part of our family and they are our children. If you can imagine the loss of a child then you can imagine the loss that we feel right at this moment.

I am sure over time I will remember the good times and they will overwhelm the grief and sadness that I feel today. The tears that I shed today will one day, I hope, be replaced with smiles as I recall the fun and games that we played, but that day is not today.

Perhaps life goes on but today I just want to be sad and to grieve the loss of a trusted and true friend and family member.

I miss you already Chock...safe journey to that big old puppy dog heaven in the sky!

3 comments:

Rob Baiton said...

Not surprisingly I have been back to read this post a number of times today. I am back again! rather than edit the post I am going to do some self-soothing with a comment...

The feeling of loss is so very much more profound than I imagined it would be. I see Chockie in all the things I am and I do. So, I went shopping as we needed milk & sugar, but I don't know it would of mattered because I really just wanted to get out of the house...retail therapy and shopping generally are not really my kind of therapy.

Every thing I though about buying I almost invariably always shared with the dogs. Did not matter whether it was food or drink or fruit as everything was shared.

So, trying to escape my sadness and grief has been harder than I had imagined it would be. It is hard to watch Unyil (the younger of the two) look expecting to see Chockie open the door or check out what she is eating.

During my shopping therapy trip I bought a couple of bones, normally one each, and it was sad to watch Unyil sit for the longest time as she waited for Chockie to come bounding out to get hers. they did not like to share but they always had to eat together and they waited for each other.

I am too sad to sleep and too sad to want to be awake and thinking...so, I write with the sincere hope that expressing my sadness in words will provide me some comfort...

Anonymous said...

Bob.... come on.... this is life.
i had kind of feeling when i lost my dog more than 20 years ago, but i still remember the accident was, because the accident was infront of my eyes. i was cry and cry, after that i realized this is life, we must prepare because anytimes we or our love one will be finish the contract one day.
when my father passed away, i really prepare my self before i meet my mum and my brothers, i tried not to cry infront of them, to make them stronger, but i can not lie to my self that I really.......really missed him now. I believed he is in heaven now.

Hope that you can remember the memory with chocky, but try not to sad ya... chock will miss your family as well.


NK

Rob Baiton said...

Yep, this is life and it is death. I recall there is a saying that there are only two things certain in life death and taxes. So, I guess from that point of view this is just the way things go, it is as you suggest, life!

I think it is important to be sad and to grieve that which has been lost. I am sure that I will be sad for a while yet. But, I think that my point was that over time this sadness will be replaced with the good memories that I/we shared with the Chockster.

But life does indeed go on, and I am currently over-compensating and spoiling my other dog, Unyil...I am sure she does not mind. Although strangely enough I sense that she also feels loss and some loneliness without her partner in crime here.