Friday, December 11, 2009

Slumbers and yearning.


Yesterday it became apparent to us that the two playful pups who have been our companions for the last eight and a half years have made that gentle transition to senior dog status. It was a beautiful sunny day and after lunch on the terrace we decided that a walk in the fresh air was in order. There was a time not so long ago when Wilf and Digby would have been howling with delight at the thought of a new adventure but now they are happy to slumber in the warm winter sun. We left them alone and returned forty five minutes later to find the unchanged scene in the photos above.

Out for dinner with a rather successful American authoress who has just lost her husband of thirty years. In the circumstances told to be at my wittiest and most upbeat . All those difficult decisions now come cascading down around her , the whether's of life. Whether to leave the house that holds so many memories, whether to return to a US that has changed profoundly, whether to try to make new friends and risk losing old ones. And through it all that occasional look in her eyes that yearned that things could be as they had been. Many years ago, before anti-depressants, my mother used to tell the recently bereaved that it took eight seasons to recover from grief. How true those old Scots aphorisms are. Time as the great healer.

8 comments:

  1. What better way to retire for puppies that settling in the south of France.
    Poor lady, we are sorry for her loss. Would a lick on the face help?

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  2. sincere sympathies to your friend during this difficult time....
    xo

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  3. My sincere sympathies are sent to your friend too!
    Having recently lost my own mom,I know the despair that goes along with death....so many changes and so much finality at the same time!...and that deep, dark void which eats into one's soul.
    Enjoy every moment with your special pooches as we traverse in the circle of life.
    C

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  4. I am most sorry for your friend's loss!

    I think I'd like to be napping with Wilf and Digby there in the sunshine!

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  5. I send my deepest sympathies to your friend. It puts one at a loss when they are accustomed to having a spouse or partner with whom to discuss their life issues, dreams and decisions.

    Your boyz are just like our old man Java. It's 16 degrees Centigrade here this morning with an almost 0 degree windchill factor. He is so content just to lie by the heater and keep warm - when in years past he'd be at the door ready to frolic outside, regardless of the weather.

    We hope you get your package soon- it's on it's way to you.

    Lynn

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  6. I think that Wilf and Digby are making their transition with great dignity. My dogs' elder years are often so wonderful, infused with the bond built over such a long time together.

    My sympathies to your friend. Losing a partner of so many years must be one of the hardest things in the world. I hope that she finds peace.

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  7. Wilf and Digby, I understand. Sometimes it so hard to resist a good nap in the sunshine. We're sorry to learn of your friend's loss. I hope she will find comfort and strength to make decisions on her next steps.

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  8. There is not much sweeter in the whole wide world than an old dog.

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