‘Izzy of Ilkeston 2005 – 2016’. These were definitely not the words I expected to see as I logged into Facebook ideally for a random harmless peep into my friends’ lives. But as I registered the words, the realisation hit me. Izzy was no more. Tears welled up instantly in my eyes without my knowledge. And by the time I knew of them, there was no stopping them. Izzy – the beautiful shining black Labrador, my best friend’s, or indeed my best friend’s partner’s dog, really was no more.
But how did it matter whose dog she was, because the one thing I have learnt about dogs is that they belong to no one, and yet they belong to everyone. A touch of love and they are yours. Thinking of it that way, Izzy was my dog too, at least for all those times when we shared a quiet moment of connection. Our friendship was passive and distant and yet every time I turned up, she greeted me just the same, with a wagging tail of pleasure. But most of all, I will never forget how she made me smile and walked by my side when the man who had promised me the same abandoned me like I never existed. Lost in the darkness of my own misery, I kept trying to look for light on that bright sunny afternoon. It was she who nudged me to reality as she forced me to throw a ball for her game. Just like that, she had made me smile, by just being herself.
And now she was gone, just like Zac went away six months back, silently and quietly, without any fuss, without any last words, just looking into my eyes, as if trying to grasp onto every bit of me in whatever time was left, to take with him on his journey beyond. That is classic dog for you. One minute, they are there – forever, everywhere, constant – and the next moment they are gone, like the hare in the magician’s hat…Poof! But unlike the hare, they leave behind their signature all over the house, little signs of their existence that pull at your heart all the time. Once you have had a dog, there is no erasing the imprints they leave on your mind, heart and soul. It’s a bond forever, a sure constant in this forever changing world.
They say that a dog is hard work; a lot of thought should go into thinking about the responsibility before you commit to having a dog. In deed I agree. But what no one prepares you for is the fact that despite them being your constant companion from the day they enter into your life, one day, they will go. And their absence will create a black hole in your soul, constantly draining your energy and emotions in the days to come. There will be no funeral for it, no wake to celebrate its life and no condolences from people far and away. There are no charities to give you any support of any kind. And yet, there has been a death in the family. Life will drag on and the loneliness eats your soul. It’s a pain that nothing and no one can prepare you for. And even when it does subside eventually, the regret of your dogs absence stays forever, sparking up even more as you see others of its kind toddling around.
And yet, having had and lost a dog, I know that I would have it no other way, just like you cannot stop living everyday for the fear of death one day. That’s what dogs are – life giving, soul nurturing brats that creep into your life silently and take over your existence. They bring you joy with the most simple and unimaginative things and shower you with love like you are the one person left on earth. And when the whole world abandons you, try looking for their paw instead of a hand; you will never be disappointed. It isn’t a coincidence that dog is just God spelt backwards.
So this is for the Izzys and Zacs of the world, for their unconditional love while they live and for the soul warming memories they leave behind to keep us smiling even when they are gone.
Babbles and Tattles of point 