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Tributes to old friend still have some bounce
(by Christine Thome - March 24, 2011)
BEYOND MY CONTROL, BY CHRISTINE THOME
Tributes to old friend still have some bounce
It must be spring, because our back yard once again resembles the world's largest flea market.
Gloves and hats that mysteriously disappeared have magically reappeared under the thaw of winter. That pair of socks that were together in your washing machine but somehow lost a mate in the dryer? The left one is in our back yard.
Sport balls litter our yard like the treasures of Pompeii -- left where they were last touched as players sought safety in the house when the first flakes of snow began to fall.
But the balls in the yard that bring a tear to my eye each morning and that I have yet to put away are a scattering of dirty, yellow tennis balls. Those tennis balls belong to our wonderful golden retriever, Josie, who passed away earlier this month.
I truly believe animals are on this Earth to teach us how to be better humans. Because they are in our lives for such a short amount of time, their lessons of compassion, trust and love make an immediate yet lasting impact.
Here are just a few lessons Josie taught us.
Play ball: Tennis balls were Josie's life. If she was outside, she had a tennis ball in her mouth. Sometimes she had two or three. She was a very talented dog that way.
Josie instinctively knew that the way to a child's heart was through a tennis ball. When school ended at 2:50 p.m., she would be out the door, picking up a tennis ball or two from her stash and running to the front sidewalk to wait patiently for the first child to appear. At just the right moment, she would strategically release the ball so that it rolled into the child's path, forcing the kid into a game of fetch.
More than once, I was called to the elementary school across the street to retrieve Josie, who had risked her life against traffic for a game of recess kick ball. There was always a collective sigh of sadness when I showed up and led their star player away.
Come bearing gifts: If she met you outside, Josie would bring you her tennis ball. If you entered the house, she would greet you with her favorite stuffed animal. Every morning, she would start my day with a balled-up, dirty sock she found on one of our kids' floors. Emily Post would be proud.
Be comfortable in your own skin (fur): Josie was a very large dog. Built more like a male golden, she was very broad. Remember the Pontiac commercials, "Wider is better"? Had we known what Josie would look like in her adult body, we may have named her after the car instead.
Josie loved to eat. Not only was she a large dog in size but in girth too. However, she didn't care when people snickered as she walked by, her back end swaying with a "ba-boom, ba-boom" strut. She knew that how you treat others is much more important than how you look, and nobody held a candle to the love and generosity Josie shared with everyone she met. There was just more of her to love.
It's OK to be afraid: Although Josie was a big girl, she wasn't a tough girl. At the first sound of thunder or a firecracker, she would be at my side or, if it was the middle of night, pawing at my door to get in. We all need someone we can count on when we are afraid, and she knew I would be there to pet her, calm her anxiety and whisper in her soft ears, "It's OK, baby, don't be afraid." Even though I think I was more afraid than her, we did our calming routine one more time, just before she passed away.
Before Josie closed her eyes for the last time, I thanked her for making me smile every day, and I asked her to give me a sign that she was OK when she reached her heaven.
Last week, I opened the door to the side porch, where Josie always waited to greet people, and found something at my feet that had not been there the day before.
A bright, yellow tennis ball.
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