Thursday, September 3, 2009

Your Older Dog

Your Older Dog

If you are a longtime pet owner then you have had experience with your aging friend.

Over the years I have watched frisky kittens ripen into quiet, daylong window sitters. My dogs too became observers of life around them. In the afternoon my Basenji finds a sunny spot on the rug. His contentment is contagious. That is the connection between the art of aging and aging animals- the ability to connect, to find their place. This is not so much a physical feat as a mental one.

There are, of course, the physical restraints that old age brings. I carry Frodie down the stairs several times a day. Yesterday on a short romp through the woods he came to a fallen log, which he would have easily jumped over less than a year ago. Now, he asks for my help.

Long walks become quiet moments listening to the swaying trees.

Sometimes the air becomes still and heavy. Memories- filled with regret and joy- fog the evening of our life. Melancholy pervades. Your friend understands this all too well. His strength is your strength. The connection, the sameness, between you and him explains the meaning of our existence.