PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER

I remember the phone call like it was yesterday, but it was almost sixteen years ago. I thought it odd for my wife to be calling me on my cell, from hers, to talk to me about, or talk me into, getting a dog. I’m a little slow so I didn’t put two and two together. She was with the girls and they already had a puppy with them on their way home.

It would have been easier to defend myself on the merits of not getting a dog, due to all the work that goes into it, if the little guy wouldn’t have been so darn cute. Of course the kids inadvertently lied… the promises of watering, feeding, and cleaning up after the new puppy we named Larry was short lived.

About 15 years ago

Our oldest was a freshman in high school, the middle daughter was fittingly in middle school, and the youngest was five years old and in pre Kindergarten.

Larry seamlessly meshed with our lives and became part of the family, for better or worse. He was there through good times and bad. Turns out he was a better dog than I was a master…

The sixteen years between that phone call when the kids were young and yesterday seems like a lifetime in many ways. In other ways it seemed like a blink.

Our youngest doesn’t remember much of a life without Larry. And even though she didn’t have a lot to say about if we got Larry, she was the closest to him. She spent more quality time with Larry and Lola when she was still alive. She was the one that walked them and took naps on the dog bed with them.

When we’d have get togethers Larry was proud to sport his black bow tie. And if there was ever a gentleman dog, it was Lar. We even caught him a couple times sneaking treats out of the pantry and dropping one off to Lola before he’d partake on his stolen treat.

It’s a somber day without Lar. This is the first post I’ve ever done without him somewhere close by.

Yesterday… on his last day 15 years later

Larry was there growing old with us as we faced the challenges of raising children and yearning to fight the good fight in this fallen world. He got older faster… and yesterday was his last day here.

I’m reminded of many things in this process of grieving for our dog. First of all, this life is short, a breath like the Good Book says. Secondly I’m reminded that it’s good to love in all ways, it shows the heart of God. And thirdly, God can use anything, even a family pet, to teach and remind his children what their heart and action should be.

I should be so loyal, loving, and humble as Larry was… Sometimes loss can help us put two and two together…