This week has been rough and surprisingly not with my human children. Our dog has had significant health issues and required emergency surgery. At almost 13 years old, we didn’t expect the best news. I am certain, although confirmation will not come for 5–7 days, that our old dog is dying of cancer and has only a little time left.
For those of you with children who struggle, I can imagine that you wonder about my perspective. It is a dog after all. But this is not just any dog. This dog has in some ways saved us and more specifically comforted us during some very rough days of mental health struggles. She would hide and shake when my child melted down and predictably at the end of every meltdown, she would comfort my child like none of us could. The first time I admitted my child to the hospital I arrived home at 4am after a long night in the ER. On the unit I was asked to sign countless papers. And then the dreaded slam of that door on the locked unit where I just left my child. That morning, as I arrived home, Maggie simply, quietly, with no judgement and no need for an explanation crawled into bed and snuggled right beside me. She always knew when we needed her most.
I have to tell my kids during spring break this week that their beloved dog only has a little time left. I can only hope that we can support and comfort her during her time left on the Earth with the same love and compassion she has given us over her 13 years