When Dan and I married six years ago, I was blessed to gain an instant family by joining him, his eight-year-old son, and his seven-year-old dog. A Weimaraner named Lucy.
Together, and with the combination of our co-adopted Golden Retriever, we were a family of five until the addition of our son, Wyatt, many years later.
Lucy started looking her age and seeming sick recently, then one morning when we tried to get her to eat ANYTHING, including ribeye, we knew it was probably a sign. She was telling us it was her time.
It. Was. Devastating. We all cried.
However, through the tears and heartbreak, an amazing revelation came to me. Lucy, through her INSANE amount of energy, sweet smile, and huge heart taught us all lessons for family and life.
Food is a cause for celebration.
Yes, Lucy would drive us crazy with her begging, but she LOVED food. All food. Any food. It was a happy place for her to eat dinner “with” us, and that is how it should be.
Dinner, no matter what it is, should be a time to celebrate even the smallest accomplishments of the day with the ones you love. The hours in our day are limited, and the times in our lives where we all can break bread together as a family are fleeing.
We should always try and carve out even a few minutes together each to celebrate and rejoice in each other.
And if you know it is exceptionally delicious, share.
Do not be afraid to surprise people. In fact, try and do so.
Lucy’s breed is partial to developing fatty tumors. She had a substantial one on her side that we consulted multiple vets about and some showed hesitation to operate due to her age.
We ultimately opted for the procedure because we knew her quality of life was being affected. When we dropped her off for surgery, we were terrified that we might not be picking her up.
We did.
In fact, when we picked her up, she was the loudest dog barking. She was full of life at a time when some doubted she would make it through.
She healed remarkably fast and was running within no time. In fact, on her last vet check, they could not believe she was already four years past a Weimaraner’s life expectancy.
This is how we should all live. So many times the people around us tell us what WE are capable of.
However, the part to remember, the truth that really matters is this:
The only one who will ever know what you are capable of is YOU. Do not let anyone else other than you define who you want to be.
Lucy didn’t.
Love is Unconditional
If I am being honest, Lucy was a little difficult.
She had awful separation anxiety, and chewed through multiple doors and WALLS many times. She was an awful beggar come mealtimes, and she would bark so loud sometimes that she would set off the house alarm.
However, she loved us all fiercely.
She would comfort us in times of illness and sadness and she would have defended us from the most vicious UPS drivers.
It is important for us all to remember sometimes that love is not conditional.
Just because there are arguments or hurt feelings (or drywall repairs), love must always endure. We must fight for it and fight for one another.
That is what family does.
Saying “goodbye” will never be easy, but will sometimes be necessary
We did not know that when we woke up that Monday morning, that was the last time we would see Lucy come down the stairs.
It was not an easy decision to take her to the veterinarian, but it was necessary. . .for her.
In life, there will be times when we will have to say good-bye to people and situations because either the time has come or even because it is no longer healthy.
It will never be easy to end that relationship, but it will be necessary for us to become better. healthier. wiser.
There will not always be a vet there to reassure you that you are doing the right thing, but you will ALWAYS have people around you who will comfort you when you are just overwhelmed by the finality.
Those are the people, those family and friends who are invaluable and irreplaceable.
There have been countless movies and books expressing the absolute gift the family pet is to us all: Marley and Me, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and probably one of my childhood favorite’s: All Dogs Go to Heaven.
All share commonalities in which they teach us, the viewer, the beauty of the friendship with man’s best friend; however the latter sticks in my heart at this time more than ever because of the timeless themes of kindness and love I learned (and cried about) at such an early age. Lessons that obviously Lucy reminded us all of.
In this crazy world. . .during one of the craziest years, how beautiful of a gift is it to be reminded that family- all members- can teach us all new tricks?
