My elderly neighbor Lily sent this along and it's so beautiful that I had to reprint it. Lily, pictured here with her dog Garner, is recovering from a hand injury she got while greasing a bundt pan. Garner is always at her side.....The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are Shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?"
The Six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT
Hi....Nan
here again and wasn't that beautiful. I cry every time I read it and look who's home!! PAM!! What's the matter honey??...you look a little glum.EDITOR'S NOTE: Nan Wilkinson has stopped writing mid-post. Apparently the news is not good and unconfirmed reports assert that 16 yr. old daughter Pam is 4 months pregnant. As luck would have it Blob is leaving rehab after completing only 7 of the 12 steps and is prepared to wade back in, so without further ado:
Wow...it's great to be back but frankly, it's great to be anywhwere other than that Godforsaken rehab centre (BTW thanks to all the staff and especially nurse Gretchen for helping me get back on my feet). I'm deeply sorry about this whole Nan Wilkinson business but certain people who shall remain nameless made decisions without asking me first and they have been justifiably let go. So here I am once again and not a moment too soon!!
That dog post almost made me gag.....not that dogs aren't great, loyal, and loving creatures but the internet has way too much of that maudlin tripe flying around. Here are a few of my internet style Dog Rules for a Better Life:
- If you can reach your balls with your own mouth, go for it!!
- Being rubbed the wrong way is a perfectly good reason to maul a 2 year old.
- By all means...eat feces!
- Take time to stop and smell people's vaginas.
- It's OK if you don't understand anything.
- Just because you're tied to a tree doesn't mean you can't chase birds.
- If they put you in booties and a sweater don't bother marking your territory...you won't fool anybody.
I'll be back soon to tie up a couple of loose ends that Nan left and then hopefully things will be back to normal
9 comments:
Blob, so nice to hear you're back!! I know of a sweet dog who put all of your doggie rules into practice (and for that matter, all of Nan's!) and is now enjoying sniffing endless crotches in doggie heaven. Thanks for the tribute. Abie appreciates it.
"To me pets make us appreciate life. They represent the circle of life in an accelerated way. They are a precious gift and as we appreciate their lives so to do we appreciate the lessons they give us in death."
This is what a friend sent me when I bemoaned Abie's passing on to crotch heaven.
I like it.
Laura in aftermath Ike land
Thanks for that post Laura- it was much appreciated by those of us in mourning.
Hope all is well with you, sweetie.
That quote is absolutely spot on, Laura. I've been thinking about those ideas a lot since Abe died. Thanks for that. I wonder who wrote the lines, any idea?
Talk to you soon,
Viv
I believe that was me excerpted (with some paraphrasing)from my "Ode to a Beloved Ferret" written back in 1992.
you delighted in small spaces,
finding hiding places,
and rising with the sun each day at dawn.
you climbed into the vacuum
I brought it to my bedroom
and woe is me, I turned the darn thing on.
you taught us all about true love
that precious gift from up above
and in our hearts you're never truly gone.
Can you believe I wrote that???
What can I say,I loved that little ferret.....and I was pretty attached to that vacuum cleaner too. Both met their maker on that fateful day.
Robert Slapcoff, you are a delight!
A Lament for the ages!
Ah, of course, I should've recognized that touch of Blobbish genius. My heart goes out to you for your loss, Blobby. I know it must still hurt even after all these years. After all, a good vacuum cleaner is hard to find. (I hope it wasn't a built-in model, those things are expensive! but what a cosy resting place it was for the ferret, come to think of it. It's probably still there, sleeping peacefully in the basement all wrapped up in downy hairballs.)
Unfortunately it was a portable model; the venerable Hoover "Suck Princess 3000". Poor Dmitri was mangled beyond recognition and the vacuum cleaner was a write-off. As you can well understand, this is difficult for me...perhaps we can move on.
Ferret-lover!
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