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Lady and Me
By Sherri Smith
Rated "G" by the Author.
Last
edited: Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Posted: Wednesday, June 21, 2006
A special relatioinship with a special dog.
I was an empty nester when I was 40, gave up my business at 41, and divorced at 42, and in the workforce for the first time in twenty-three years. To say this took a toll on my emotional health is a dramatic understatement. My losses came at once and I was overwhelmed. My youngest sister became my rock. I could call her when I needed to talk, go to her house to be with her and my nieces anytime I wanted, and she loved me back to better emotional health.
Not only would I get to spend time with my sister and nieces, but also her little Shi-Tzu clearly adored me. She would greet me at the door, begging me to pick her up and love her, which I always did! If I were having a good day, she greeted me, licked my face, and then went off to do her own thing. However, other days, well, it seemed she sensed when my day was dark and I was having a hard time dealing with my pain.
I would sit on the couch and immediately she would be lying next to me as close as she could get. On my lap, if I gave her any encouragement, but always there. Just petting her, and having her nuzzle close to, me was wonderful therapy, and many times I left my sister’s house and Lady had tearstains on her fur. My niece would ask, “Aunt Sherri, are your eyes leaking again?” And Lady would nuzzle my hand.
I passed through that dark time and came out victorious on the other side, with a new marriage, home, and a bright future. Lady still lived with my sister, and my new husband and I had a dog of our own. Boots was a gift to my husband on our second Christmas together to help ease the pain of his daughter moving back to Virginia to live with her Mother.
Charlotte, my sister, was divorced and going through a rough time of her own. She had moved into a rental house that didn’t allow pets. The first time I went to visit her at her new home, she told me that Lady was living in the cellar, or running loose in the neighborhood. She wasn’t “fixed” yet, and she was expressing a concern that she wouldn’t find a new home for her before some dog got her. The vet said another litter of puppies would kill her. I asked immediately if I could take her home. She needed me this time, and she had been there when I needed her love and companionship the most.
She is still with us and has been now for over ten years. She is frail, blind in one eye, and can barely hear. I love her with all of my heart. She still wants and needs to curl up beside me, or lie on her pillow next to my computer desk, or just be at my feet if I’m in the lounge chair.
I know the time is coming, and I don’t know how I will face it. My Lady, Ladybug to us, will be mourned as much as one of my children. She has comforted me, loved me, and been with me through the bad times and the good. She truly has been a companion closer than any best friend I have ever had.
June 21, 2006 - A final note.
Yesterday we had to put my little Lady to sleep. The vet said she had a tumor, she was not eating, couldn't go up and down steps, blind in one eye, lost her hearing, and shook all the time. The tumor had affected her bowels and she was unable to hold her urine. We took her with us for one last weekend in Missouri to visit my MIL and we knew we didn't have much time with her. After many tears, we took her to the Vet and asked that she be spared any more pain. Tears still are running down my face as I face the loss of this wonderful companion, family member, and beloved pet. Do dogs go to heaven?
Sherri
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