I wasn’t there when she passed away. Perhaps that is why the pain was not as poignant ‘til now when I have to give tribute to a dear friend, and family member. No one does obituaries of this kind.
She lived with us for 15 years. Giving us joy with her unconditional love. She was the center of our homelife. The focus of our affection,our welcome party, and our stress reliever. When she did something wrong, she knew she was in for something. So she would go to a corner and wait for the axe to fall. Most of the time our heart would just see her remorse and punishment would just be raised voices. A scolding.Which she would take with utmost humility.
When she would be left behind, we could see the longing in her eyes begging us to stay and play with her or tag her along. And at times, when work was not the reason for leaving home, we would allow her to hop in with us for a short drive. Oh she would love sitting in the front seat as I would suffer the bumps at the back. She would gaze at the people who would be awed at her poise as she sat seat-belted in the front seat beaming with a certain amount of dignity in her posture.
To our friends, she was a beauty, and her demeanor would make us ashamed of our own immaturity. She was a reservoir of patience and if we measured her EQ I guess she would get a top rate.
She was sensitive, and knew when to just sit by us when we were in a crisis or just feeling depressed. In moments of sadness, she would nudge my hand and place it on her head as she would make a pillow out of my leg in sympathy. And even in her old age when I would ask her to stand, she would strive to raise her aching bones to my beckoning and indulge my seeking assurance on her health. She always gave. And took only what was offered.
Even when food was on the table, so close to her reach. She would never aim for it without permission. She would just wait.
Pal showed me how it is to be a friend. How it is to love without question. How it is to be patient and giving. Pal made us feel we mattered and would sit at the door of the house when someone from the family was not yet home. She was a like a mother, waiting for her children. A guard, bristling with ferocity whenever she saw we were threatened – truly strange for her kind. She was mostly friendly and did not know how to quarrel to a fault as the more mundane rascals would think of her pawing as an affront.
I will miss Pal when I get home. I will miss the wag of her stomp. The warm welcome lick. The dancing and prancing to shed both our fat. I will miss my dog and only those who have such a bond with their pet will feel our pain. I thank our vet, Dr. Eduardo dela Cruz who tried to make things easy for Pal.
My condolences to my husband Jeff, who for the second time this year had to bury a friend alone. I hope Kisses can make up for it.