I will walk with you forever

 

🐕

 

MY DOG

Author

Nicole Martin

The above illustration breaks my heart.

Why?

It’s me and my Jasper.

My dog.

It reminds me that one day he will leave me- as everything does eventually-and walk his own doggy road

-but I can’t think about that.

“Come here baby, you are JUST a dog”

He waddles up to me, tongue out, backside wagging, always smiling and grateful for nothing. 

It reminds me of his loyalty despite my laziness and grump days, when I know all he wants is to go around the block, and play with some buddies in the field. 

“Hello buddy, hello friend, my name is Jasper and I have a tennis ball”

It reminds me, that my husband loves him too, and so do my boys, and so do I, and so does the universe and everyone in it. 

Just look at the illustration. 

Four feet.

Two feet, two paws walking side by side. 

To where? 

It doesn’t really matter now does it? I know my dog just wants to walk…the destination is simply a means to an end. 

His name is Jasper, he’s 6 years old. He’s a black Labrador, and he’s a gift to me. 

Everyday, I learn from him. 

Everyday, he softens me. 

Everyday, he reminds me what’s important

and what’s not important.

With no words, he teaches me.

So many lessons, so many values, so many simple, simple truths, that humans wouldn’t know about, now would they?

His innocence is what I love about him the most. We often say

“Shame, he’s just a dog”

Ignorance is bliss is it not?

The not knowing. 

Living a reality where hatred and evil are an unknown entity.

Living a world where his happiness is directly proportional to the number of revolutions his tail does in a minute, and that’s the only measure. 

The past is simply a misspelled word missing an ‘a’ , and the future, the whole future, is captured in its entirety in the next five minutes. 

He owns nothing, yet parades around like he’s the King of Planet Boonga. 

Every tree and every lamp post is worth his attention.

It is irrelevant to him, if I’m ugly, or if I am unliked, or if I only have one friend, or if I have or have not brushed my teeth this morning, or if I am hopeless at my job, or if I am an Olympian who broke the world record last week. 

All he needs is to chase his tennis ball every now and then, to frolic with his buddies, and the LOVE of us. 

I think I would like to be born as a dog next time.

Jasper

 

 

Bittersweet