The other night, a ferocious thunderstorm woke me up. Rain lashed the house and thunder rumbled around us. I sat up immediately and it took me some time to get settled again.
It was what I didn’t hear that grabbed my attention.
No scuffling. No nails on hardwood. No sighing and licking of lips near my head.
You see, there is no longer an old dog leaning in, asking in his own sweet way to maybe-possibly-I’d-just-love-you-forever-if-I-could-join-you-in-that-bed kind of way.
When he was a tyke, he’d bound up the stairs and launch himself onto his bed of choice.
As he got older, he learned the boys’ beds were fair game but ours was a permission-only zone.
As he got even older still, he’d plod up the stairs and deposit himself next to my head, sigh, and lick his lips.
And in the flash of lightning I’d see his sweet old eyes staring back and me and I’d hug his neck and we’d gently lift his 68 lb arthritic self up onto our Queen bed, smoothing out a spot just for him.
And in the rumbling summer storm sounds that followed, the one that lingers with me still was his sweet sigh of contentment.
Oh how I miss that old fellow.
Me and my Frankie bear. An Emjayandthem (C) photo
“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go to where they went.” Will Rogers
Aw….(sniff)….. the love of a pet just stays with you forever, doesn’t it, MJ? I’m so sorry for your loss….
yes it does. I realized that night it was my first summer storm without the old boy. He’s been gone nearly a year and it still hurts. I wrote that post in about 4 min!
Thank you for understanding
MJ
Been there — still miss my Beezy kitty…..that’s been 4 1/2 years….
aww… so thankful you have not one but 2 four legged fur-babies.
You can’t replace an old pet, I know that..but reading this one makes me wonder if you’d ever consider starting a new love relationship with another dog? We lost Oscar our beagle..smartest dog I ever knew…had to take him to the vet to put him out of his suffering. I grieved at his passing just as if he were another human..that had never happened to me in all the years of pets..today Libby the great (a black lab who is a space cadet with a big heart gives me joy with her thumping tail and quirks of her own. thinking of you and the void in your lives with Frankie. DM
Thank you, I know you get it. We have talked about it but our circumstances now are so different from when we got him – our boys were young and home, I worked out of the house and didn’t travel – now it’s reversed — and as much as I want another pooch, I know in my heart that we’re not home enough for it to be fair to the dog. We’ve talked about it and gotten close but so far, no new four legged therapist 🙂
Thank you for your kindness,
MJ
Awwwww….
I know. The memory came at me with a start!
MJ
Sweet Frankie ❤
I know. He was such a sweet boy. I hadn’t realized that I’d missed his silly old dog sounds in the night …. safe travels to you, Sandi-girl!
MJ
Such a sweet post – I’m so sorry about Frankie and how hard it is without him! I know exactly how it feels – sometimes it hits you at unexpected moments and months/years later you’ll still be missing them…
Absolutely – and it’s those unexpected moments that are like a punch to the gut sometimes. Thanks Dounia,
MJ
You will miss him forever. Even if or when you get another dog, Frankie will be the star of the old stories. I have some passed cats that I can talk about for hours on end. They were such a part of the family and did the most incredible or insane things. In grief, a year isn’t a long time.
Thank you, needed to hear that today. A year seems like it should be enough, but it’s not. Your post about Jake in the catnip inspired this post, so you know. Thank you!
MJ
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You got me….right in the heart. Don’t know if I should thank-you or not….but I know where you’re coming from. Take care. :’).
R
Thanks RR, still miss that silly old pup. Probably always will. he was one of a kind.
MJ
Aw, your sweet Frankie! I think he was with you still during the thunderstorm that night.
I think you are on to something!!
MJ
How these dear, sweet critters burrow into our hearts. We had a friend guinea pig sit our little Piglet recently while we were away, and I had to drop her off the day before we left. Having her cage empty and quiet was so strange and lonely.
Sorry for the reminder that your pup is no longer in his physical body. I’d bet he’s still jumping up on your bed though. One night when I was in a very light sleep, I felt something that was like my old dog climbing up on my bed. After that, I was having a psychic reading, and the gal saw my old dog with me. Comforting.
I love that thought, that he’s still up on my bed with me 🙂 Thank you! That was very comforting to me!!
MJ
How blessed Frankie was to have you.
Thank you; I still miss him so … Wed was 1 year. MJ
I was moved when I read this originally. And was again when I read it this morning. Beautiful.
thank you, the wake a good dog leaves behind is wide and deep. Bests, MJ