7/22/2023 0 Comments Day #13 - Exhale / Deep RelaxationOur 15-year-old dog Barq will soon be crossing the Rainbow Bridge. He was brought up in a kennel of sled dogs in a litter of 14. The theme for their names was soft drinks, so there was Barq (root beer), Cola, Shasta, etc. When children ask me why he is called Bark, I tell them it was either Bark or Woof and we chose Bark. That satisfies their curiosity, and then they ask if they can pet him. Children don’t care much about the spelling.
Accompanying an old dog or any elder being is a remarkable practice of acceptance. Barq now has leeway for his behavior. For example, he is no longer required to poop only outside, although it is certainly our preference. Catherine and I talk about poop the way that Eskimos might talk about snow. Living with many animals, domestic and wild, we see the subtleties and signs of health and well being directly in their poop. I “asked” Barq the other day how he was doing. He told me that he can’t jump up on the bed anymore, but can still make it to the couch. He seems to be enjoying his life most of the time. Catherine and I have decided not to travel until Barq goes. There is just too much to do in these final stages which may last a week or a few months. We know he will let us know and we will listen. Thus, we are deeply relaxed. Our hopes for Barq as well as ourselves have been softened. We accept his coming death and the inevitability of our own. If all fears and tensions are somehow related to our own fear of death, then accompanying Barq is a beautiful practice for deep relaxation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
David FeldmanDog walker, Dog Mediator, Father, Husband, Categories |