All Dogs Go To Heaven

Probably one of the saddest moments in my life was recently when I put Ruby our golden to sleep.  She had valiantly braved extra days of apparent misery just to comfort us. Yes, nobody loves you like a dog, it’s true.  Their love is unconditional.  They don’t care what you look like, what you smell like, unless of course you smell like bacon or swordfish, and then you had better cough up the tithing share! They don’t care if you’re in a bad mood, they are ever present. 

Ruby was a special dog, now I know everybody says that about their pet, but she was a virtual celebrity in our old home of Nejecho Beach.  All the neighborhood kids knew her; she loved everyone, even the fat kid everybody teased.  He would straggle by the fence and she would amble over, wagging her tail, making contact, making him feel loved and appreciated. She was a wise teacher; she made the rest of us more compassionate, less judgmental.

 I once dreamt, while she was alive, that she spoke to me in English saying “Are you sure you know what you are doing?” I didn’t know at the time what she was referring to and still don’t to this day. But I will confess, “No, I don’t know what I am doing.” How many of us live consciously every moment? Dogs do, they live in the moment. If you leave for five minutes or ten years when you return you will get the very same welcome home, because all that matters is that you are here, in the moment with them.

She was a good friend, a fine teacher and an excellent dog. And I know she’s in heaven, because that’s where all dogs go.