He said "Thank You"

We picked out a marker for Bongo's cremains earlier this week. The stone will have the above picture along with his name, birth and death year and a few lines of text. As a family, we chose it - looking for just the right words to honor our beloved family dog who left us a little more than a month ago.

I would be lying if I said it was not met with some tears. Yet there was laughter as we remembered some of his quirky behaviors and things we adored about his goofy personality.

The pressure of picking just what to say was just as palpable as the memories we conjured up.

Thankfully - we had gratitude on which to fall back.

When I shared the final moments of Bongo's life - I failed to mention how Huz thanked Bongo. I believe he thanked him for being such a great dog - his exact words are not coming to my mind - but in the moment, I remember thinking how perfect it is to express gratitude to a loved one before they leave you. No matter how brief the separation or how permanent, there's such grace in making sure we take opportunities to be grateful to each other.

On the last day of Bongo's life, I took him for a walk. We did our usual route, meeting people we already knew along the way to the park. But, as I've mentioned in other posts, quarantine has seemingly inspired lots of dog owners to take walks - so it has been rare NOT to meet someone new. Case in point, Bongo and I met Tomo and his human, Carol. 

We chatted briefly as our dogs sniffed each other - taking full advantage of our leashes conveniently measuring a 6-foot distance between us. He, the human, told me Tomo was an elder dog too - which probably accounted for them getting along. Bongo had developed a bit of grumpy old man attitude around hyperactive or yip-yappy dogs in his old age. He tended to look up at me as if to say, "Really, Ma - can you do something about this craziness?" whenever we came across any highly energetic dog - except for the hyperactive pit bull mix, Jazzy who lives just down the street. Her, he tolerated.

As we parted, I waved goodbye and said, "Tomo we'll see you on the next walk". 

Little did I know, that there would be no 'next walk'.

After that brief doggie encounter, we kept going - pausing to rest under the shade for a bit - I let Bongo off his leash for a little while. He was never a runner, herding dogs rarely bolt away. Unless a squirrel happens by - and Bongo's prey drive was long gone - making me confident he would stay close by. True to form, he ambled a short distance away to sniff, eat grass and leave what I call "peemail" for other animals who would visit the park.

And I was grateful.

Grateful for the many times he took me out of the house - in pretty much every kind of weather except rain, because - wet dog smell. Thanks to him, I covered many miles on foot. Sometimes running - most of the time walking - occasionally hiking, but always appreciating the companionship. Every time I took him for a walk, I came back happier. I know he did too.

That's why the final line of text on his headstone is a line of thanks to his loyalty, his love and his talent for bringing joy and laughter to our days.

Take time to say thank you. Be grateful for every moment. It is so valuable - and the more you do it, the more you have for which to be thankful.