An open letter to a companion:
My friend -
I remember when we first met...I think it was love at first sight for both of us. You ran towards me even though we'd never met before and jumped into my arms; with your tail wagging you made me feel loved that first day, covering my face with your unique kisses.
You were so young, not much more than a pup...that simple leap was nothing to you then...you made it without hesitation.
When you came to live with us you were our only "child." You didn't have to share the spotlight of attention with any other critters...It was just the three of us.
We spoiled you, perhaps a bit too much but who could help it? Those dark brown eyes and that eternal look of hope you accepted anything we gave you (and some things we didn't, you little garbage hound, you...)
You loved your socks! How many good ones did poke little fang holes in over the years?? I've lost count...and, thank goodness you grew out of the "kitty-Rocca" stage before I met you...what a mess those times must have been!
I remember you loved to sing with me..."Swing Low" was your favorite and when I got to the chorus you gave it your all!
And who could forget the intelligence...that matched with your keen hearing made it impossible to pull the wool over your eyes, didn't it? We could spell "hungry" and "outside" and no matter what tone we used, you always knew those were the words we were spelling...knowing their meaning...what a sharp little mind!
I loved it when you'd whisper for a cookie! You'd give me such a quiet little "woof", wagging your tail in that odd spinning fashion the whole time...not side to side like most dogs but in a circle...how unique!
But as time passed, your sight began to fail...not all at once but steadily...then your hearing so that whispering was no longer an option...it was just part of the aging process but none the less heartbreaking...to see you changing... aging before our eyes...
Maybe that's when I started distancing myself from you...not because I no longer cared for you... but perhaps trying to spare myself so much grief when you did finally have to leave us...
It didn't work though...The time came for us to say our good-byes and it didn't hurt any less...it hurt more because I missed the closeness we had...I thought perhaps I had been wrong to be so distant from you...that I'd missed out on our final time together...
I missed your singing...I missed that peculiar way your nose would twist sideways when you were smelling something really great and I missed you taking up three fourths of the bed even though you were just a little dog...
You were a
companion...a friend...a child and a clown...
We love you...we always will
and we will miss you more than you'll ever know.
Ciy'Ree
For Mitzi
1982~1999