As some of you know, our precious Piper died this month. She was a bright, beautiful dog, eighteen months old; smart and silly with a remarkable ability to make us smile, laugh even. I cannot fathom how much I miss her; she was after all, a dog.
Funny though how an animal, a pet can become a member of the family. I don't mind telling you that I miss her unique ways: the way she talked to us with a bone in her mouth, the way she helped round up our wayward chickens so well, yet so gently, the way she snuggled into her mistress, our daughter as if the bed was all hers and she was allowing her a tiny portion of it.
I am very familiar with the path of grief. Personally I have been relatively fortunate in that regard but the experience of my previous work with hospice is never very far away. Life is change and change is loss after all. I have never been more aware of this than as a parent. As our children move through their teen years the calendar ricochets ever more quickly through the days, weeks, months and years. Time passes too fast.
Today however I would like to sit still for a minute and fondly remember our Piper. She was a bright spark, too soon gone and yet still just a dog: a fun-loving friend, a cheerful companion, a relentless retriever of Frisbees all wrapped up in unconditional love--- the very definition of a dog.
