I keep seeing social media messages about golden retrievers crossing the rainbow bridge after years of loving companionship. It seems to be a tough season for goldens.
If it’s not that, it’s people in their seventies showing pictures of their pups and talking about how “this will be my last golden retriever.”
The end of our beloved pets’ lives is the worst part of the deal — the deal where we commit to stewardship of God’s creatures in exchange for that love and companionship. Even when you prepare yourself for the inevitable, it’s a horrible experience when they make that crossing.
Early on, when I realized my bond with Willow The Best Dog There Was™ was as close as any I’d ever had with a animal, I began to try steeling myself against that day — but I also took time to savor every hug, every snuggle, every walk in the field, every game, all of the reasons we bring our furry friends home in the first place.
As they age, those sweet moments start to grow bittersweet, and we wonder how many more special times we’ll share. The trick is to put aside the worries and the fears and just embrace the moments as they come.
And when they do leave us, there is no emptiness like it. When Dejah, who is scheduled to turn 12 this month, leaves me, I will have to adjust to walking from one room to another without stepping over the furry obstacle course — she just loves to position herself in the doorways. But that goofy white beast is still here, so pardon me while I go rub her ears.
