My Two Writing Teachers colleagues and I are hosting the 13th Annual March Slice of Life Story Challenge, in which hundreds of teachers participate in posting a story per day.
Dear Kids,
Did you know that one of my favorite things about Indie is that he moves from bed to bed in the night, taking turns sleeping next to each of you? When I peek in your bedrooms at night, he’s always in one of your rooms, curled up in a little fur-ball, sometimes at the foot of your bed, sometimes right next to you. Sometimes he even puts his little fuzzy head right on your pillows, or snuggles up with a stuffed animal. It’s adorable and it makes my heart melt that he loves you both so much and that you love him.
Lately, when I watch Indie with the two of you, I notice signs of how he’s getting old. Twelve is pretty old for a dog, I think. He sleeps a lot more than he used to, and his teeth chatter sometimes. He’s got terrible breath, and he frequently whines without any reason. It’s not all bad - he’s also a lot calmer than he used to be; he doesn’t bark at passing cars anymore (he can’t hear them) and he seems to get along just fine with other dogs for the first time in his life.
I worry about how much the two of you love him—when he eventually dies how will you react? He’s healthy enough for now for an old dog, but he couldn’t possibly have more than a few more good years in him. That’s just the way life goes.
Last night, Lily called Indie up on to the couch. She patted the spot right next to her like we always do. He lost his hearing over the summer, so now he reads our body language. He usually hops right up on to the couch and snuggles right next to us. But this time when he tried to jump, he didn’t quite make it, and he slipped back down to the floor. I wanted to cry.
But here’s the thing. How many good years does anybody have? Should you protect yourself from loving anybody or anything, knowing that it can’t last forever? Of course not. We’ll just keep loving Indie for just as long as he lives, and beyond. And he’ll keep loving us.
Love,
Your Mom