The New Road

Post-Ripley - Day Two

(If it isn't clear by now, I should warn anyone reading this blog that many entries in the coming weeks will be about my dog Ripley.)

I went to Shutterfly and bought a whole bunch of Ripley shots and I'm going to make an album with them. Lori and I are also going to put an apple tree in the back yard. Apples were one of Ripley's favorite foods.

I thought a lot about Ripley last night. Especially when I was giving Megan a bath. One of the things I miss most, and there are lots of them, are the way that Ripley and I comforted each other. A case in point was the first night when Megan came home from the Hospital. It was about 2AM and Megan was crying, crying, and Ripley gave me this look like, "What have you brought home?" I gave a look back that said, "I don't know, but we will get through it together." Then I gave her a big spooning squeeze and in that way she let me know that she and I would get through things together.

That's what great dogs do. They reassure you through the tough times. And I know that Lori probably has her own stories about how Ripley supported her when we were fighting or when I was away. (Actually, during a fight Ripley came down on whichever side meant sleep.)

A female acquaintance of mine who was in an abusive marriage once hid in her closet with her two dogs and they helped her get through it. Not that I have ever lived through anything near that bad, in fact I've lived a pretty blessed life, but I always knew that Ripley was there for me no matter what. I love Sadie, but she is not the kind of dog who would allow you to give her a big long hug. After about three seconds she would be hyperventilating and after five she would be wildly thrashing to get away.

Life goes on, of course, but there is no reason why I shouldn't spend some time thinking about all of the good times I had with Ripley and mourning her passing too early.