Wednesday, July 4, 2012

It's Been a Rough Go

If you're a regular reader - and I doubt there are many left- you will notice that the last couple of months things have been pretty quiet around here. The fact is, that even though the blog has been quiet doesn't mean my life has been.

In the middle of May I suffered from the most debilitating back pain I've ever experienced in my life. I've had bouts from time to time where I have to spend a couple of days in bed, but this was different. After going on a rather lengthy bike ride, my back began to tighten up. As the day wore on it felt worse and worse. By the time I had come home from a dinner out I could not sit or stand. I laid down in bed and remained there for four days.

Thankfully, I had my frenchie Seamus and pug Ladybug to keep me company. For those four days they basically laid in the bedroom with me, only leaving for the occasional drink of water. It always amazes me how loyal and therapeutic these wonderful animals are. They made me laugh. They made me feel better. Once I was able to actually walk, they motivated me to walk farther and farther each day.

On Sunday, June 10th Seamus started having trouble walking. Every now and then he would yelp with pain. After a Monday vet visit, steroids, and more yelping we ended up at an animal hospital in Akron at 3:30am. With a very grim prognosis we had to make the extremely difficult decision to put him down. On June 12th - our wedding anniversary - we experienced the saddest day of our thirteen year marriage.

So what does this have to do with my silly little blog?

Well, Seamus was my constant shadow - and that definitely included the kitchen. He loved sitting in front of our oven because the excess heat was exhausted down near the floor. He'd just lay right in front of the vent until we had to open the door. He was also the vacuum that instantly sucked up any excess crumbs that might make their way to the floor. Our boy was also a foodie in his own right. An aficionado of carrots, blueberries, and especially green beans; the only time that dog ever left my side was when he heard his mom making her lunch in the morning. He'd hear the clinking of the glass bowls she put her blueberries in and would bound down the stairs in search of two or three fruity treats.

His spot in front of the stove
For most people this is just a dog. I get that. I actually used to be one of those people. I can say that after losing a dog like Seamus you're changed. He was my constant companion, and was never more than 10 feet away while I cooked the very things you see on this blog. In fact, he was more than likely laying under my desk as I wrote many of these posts.

It takes serious wind out of your sails when something like this happens. After spending a week in NYC and Philly, I can say that I'm reinvigorated. It isn't that I'm "over" Seamus. You never forget a Hall of Famer like him. I'd like to think that I have taken on some of his zeal for life. It's the same zeal that made him pull me around one particular corner on our daily walk, so he could see what was on the other side of the hedge. It's with a Seamus-like zeal that I hope to pick up where I left all of this off.

2 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry for your loss. I consider my dog to be my first child. He's carried me through some very hard times, so I understand completely where you are coming from. Thank you for sharing this post as Seamus looked like he was quite the pup.

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  2. Thanks Alicia. I really miss the little guy.

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