Yes, tears gently gathered as I read this very touching story. Our first and only dog when my children were young was a Shepherd/Lab mix but she most resembled a Shepherd. We got Sasha from a farm as a puppy. She chose us as we all stood looking down at the pups sleepily entangled together in their pen. Sasha could not have been a more excellent addition to our family. She was protective, loving, playful, intelligent, loyal and intuitive. When my children were in grade school, they could bring in the most important person in their lives - they chose Sasha! She lived to be 19, unheard of for most dogs. I can still feel the deep loss of this amazing companion. Thanks for such a beautiful story and pictorial Sung.
Thank you so much! I have to admit, I still can't go back to this essay... And it's been a year and a half now. These animals of ours certainly have a way of burrowing deeply into us, don't they?
Absolutely. I love most animals but dogs are the most loyal with unconventional love. Our dog, Spanky, a pit mix, could be a pain in the ass too but I’ve thought of him every single day since we put him down last year. He had the most adorable way of pawing the covers so I’d lift them up and let him crawl under. He could be so aggressive with other dogs but he welcomed our lab rescue Ariel into our family with such gentleness. My husband and I have never been without a dog in our 52 year marriage, even when raising 4 kids. We could sure relate to every word of your story about Ginny.
Spanky sounds a lot like Ginny! It was such a challenge to take her on walks in the park...we had to lead her away any time we saw anyone on our path, especially if they were walking. I guess she was just doing her job, but lord, it wasn't easy. And yet of course, what I'd give to have just one more walk with her...
In sadness there is joy and in joy there is sadness. This piece captures it all, with surprising depth and clarity.
Elizabeth Bishop wrote: “The art of losing isn’t hard to master. So many things seem filled with the intent to be lost, their loss is no disaster.”
We’re lucky to experience love -- with another human or a pet (humans and pets are all animals anyway) -- and the toughness of the loss has something to do with the depth of the love.
Reading this story reminded me of at least ten things to be grateful for. 🙏
Beautiful! I haven’t had a pet so far, but it anyway touched me on a ... human level. This really shows the meaningful emotional connections we humans can develop with dogs and other animals.
Such a beautiful and heartwarming story. I love seeing all the photos of Ginny! Thank you for sharing, Sung.
This read made me think a lot about the feeling of family, and how we create our families.
This brought a big smile to my face:
Because she’s hardly the paragon of behavioral excellence, our dog trainer and we had collectively decided that Ginny being a ring bearer in name rather than an actual one would be a more prudent move. The last thing we want is for the ring to fall into the grass with a shake of her body and the entire wedding party on their knees trying to find it.
Yes, tears gently gathered as I read this very touching story. Our first and only dog when my children were young was a Shepherd/Lab mix but she most resembled a Shepherd. We got Sasha from a farm as a puppy. She chose us as we all stood looking down at the pups sleepily entangled together in their pen. Sasha could not have been a more excellent addition to our family. She was protective, loving, playful, intelligent, loyal and intuitive. When my children were in grade school, they could bring in the most important person in their lives - they chose Sasha! She lived to be 19, unheard of for most dogs. I can still feel the deep loss of this amazing companion. Thanks for such a beautiful story and pictorial Sung.
Thank you so much! I have to admit, I still can't go back to this essay... And it's been a year and a half now. These animals of ours certainly have a way of burrowing deeply into us, don't they?
Absolutely. I love most animals but dogs are the most loyal with unconventional love. Our dog, Spanky, a pit mix, could be a pain in the ass too but I’ve thought of him every single day since we put him down last year. He had the most adorable way of pawing the covers so I’d lift them up and let him crawl under. He could be so aggressive with other dogs but he welcomed our lab rescue Ariel into our family with such gentleness. My husband and I have never been without a dog in our 52 year marriage, even when raising 4 kids. We could sure relate to every word of your story about Ginny.
Spanky sounds a lot like Ginny! It was such a challenge to take her on walks in the park...we had to lead her away any time we saw anyone on our path, especially if they were walking. I guess she was just doing her job, but lord, it wasn't easy. And yet of course, what I'd give to have just one more walk with her...
I know!!!
Ahhh! This rocked me!
In sadness there is joy and in joy there is sadness. This piece captures it all, with surprising depth and clarity.
Elizabeth Bishop wrote: “The art of losing isn’t hard to master. So many things seem filled with the intent to be lost, their loss is no disaster.”
We’re lucky to experience love -- with another human or a pet (humans and pets are all animals anyway) -- and the toughness of the loss has something to do with the depth of the love.
Reading this story reminded me of at least ten things to be grateful for. 🙏
Thank you, Bill! It's been a year and a half now without a dog, and now it seems like we are getting another dog. I'm both excited and anxious...!
Beautiful! I haven’t had a pet so far, but it anyway touched me on a ... human level. This really shows the meaningful emotional connections we humans can develop with dogs and other animals.
Reading this inspired me to put my phone away and give my cat some love <3
Such a beautiful and heartwarming story. I love seeing all the photos of Ginny! Thank you for sharing, Sung.
This read made me think a lot about the feeling of family, and how we create our families.
This brought a big smile to my face: