She didn't say much, but she didn't take her eyes off me for very long, either. I read her attitude as being protective of him, not jealous of me. She didn't seem to mind that we talked for a long time, or that I was in her home.
She is very pretty. Tall, blonde, athletic and very, very smart. She has very good manners and doesn't forget them very often. Tommy only has to tell her once, usually, and she does what she is asked to do. That's pretty good, I think, considering how much energy she has and how curious she is about everything in her life.
She has been schooled in the appropriate behaviors for specific situations. She knows her place and she tends to it diligently. She approaches her “lot in life” with enthusiasm and grace. She loves unabashedly and is fiercely protective of those she loves.
She has taught me many lessons. In fact, she taught me, on that first visit, or maybe on the second, where the cookies are and how to tell if she wants one. Well, that part was easy: she always wants a cookie. From that visit on, she knew that cookies would be served every time I came to see Tommy.
Her name is Lady, and she is......a lady. A yellow labrador retriever, too, but mostly, a lady.
The last time I saw her was in January of this year. Tommy gave me a ride to the airport, to catch a flight to Chicago and she went along for the ride. She loves to ride in the truck. It doesn't matter what she is doing, or what she might have planned, she will always drop what she is doing in order to go for a ride in the truck.
Just the other day, Tommy posted her picture on Facebook. It seems that she has been ill. And now, the results are back from the veterinarian and it isn't good. She can't be cured....
And so, Tommy wrote this quote on his Facebook wall:
"When despair grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great Heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I lie in the presence of still water. Above me I feel the day-blind stars waiting for their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am FREE".
God loaned her to me, a beautiful gift I cherish. We are going to live and love for as long as she has.
It's a chance we take, having pets and treating them like people. This beautiful creature, named Lady, has been a mainstay in my friend's life for many years. Through the good times and the bad times, and there were some very bad times, she has been there for him. At his side. Ready to defend him with her life. And even more ready to make him smile and laugh with her precious antics.
So many of us have taken that chance, more than once even, and given our hearts to a pet. Or several pets. In turn, they give us comfort, and company, and an ear to listen. They stay with us when others abandon us. They show their love and loyalty in every glance at us. They ask for nothing in return except their due: some food, some shelter, and an occasional treat....
And when they leave us, the heavens open and the rain pours down. It fills our eyes and runs down our cheeks. Sometimes, it causes us to convulse with the pain of losing such a dear, devoted friend and companion. But then, the sun comes out again and all that's left is the joy in our hearts. And smiles, as we think about the good times.
Lady, I'm glad I have had the chance to know you....and see your smile.
Post Script: I heard from Tommy last night. Lady is going to So. California to have surgery. The vet is going to remove the tumor that is impinging on her airway. It won't save her life but it will make her last days more comfortable. Tommy wanted to know if it was okay with me for him to share what I wrote with his family.....of course, Tommy. I wrote it from my heart, for you and for Lady. Cali Update: Her surgery was yesterday. She had a tumor the size of a melon removed from her lung. Tommy has been updating us on her progress on Facebook. I have received two text messages from him, too. She was able to go outside today for a walk and they took this picture.. Then back to "doggy ICU". She has a chest tube, an IV, telemetry, and a fentanyl patch for pain. We are hoping for the best.
And anotherPost Script: Six months after her diagnosis and initial treatment, Lady succumbed in her sleep yesterday. Rest In Peace, Sweet Lady, I will miss you!
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