Wednesday, February 24, 2010

A Little Something For Ringo



Sorry, this is an interruption from the usual book related programming.

Our dog, Ringo, left us yesterday. He was 14 years old, so it was a possibility we were at once expecting and ignoring, so when it happened it still came as too much of a shock. He'd been having health problems but none that we thought would be imminently life threatening.

He was a Christmas puppy for me when I was in the seventh grade, and true to form, he loved Christmas. Nothing gave him greater joy than ripping open Christmas presents, so much so that one year when we were wrapping presents, he grabbed a scrap of paper and put it over one of his toys and attempted to "unwrap" it again. When it came to his name, Ringo got it honest. He loved to run rings around us and around the house. He was never as much for fetch as he was for keepaway. Ringo always loved to be chased and loved for everyone to want whatever he had. A lot of people didn't quite get his appeal. He was a one-family kind of dog, but when it came to us, he loved with all his heart.

Through all this, I can't help thinking about taking him for walks when he was a young dog. Despite my best efforts, he'd always manage to slip his collar. I can remember one day when I was chasing him along the road, traffic perilously close, desperate to catch him and avert certain catastrophe. Chasing and yelling and crying wasn't doing the trick. Then I remembered - Ringo loved to chase almost as much as he loved to be chased. Tears streaming down my face, I did the most counterintuitive thing imaginable. I turned around and ran. Soon enough, there he was - chasing me home.

Thanks for all the joy you brought to our lives, Ringo. We'll miss you so much, but one day, we'll be the ones chasing you home.

15 comments:

  1. Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss. We have a 14 year old dog, so I know just how much a part of the family they are.

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  2. I'm so sorry for your loss, Megan. My own dog is an eleven-year-old Newfoundland, which is a long life for her breed, so I understand expecting and ignoring the inevitable. It's always so hard when they leave us.

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  3. Oh, darling... So sorry to hear this. My cats are almost 16 (they're littermates). I am all too aware my turn is coming up...

    Hugs.

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  4. I'm so very sorry for your loss. It's awful losing a pet - my thoughts are with you.

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  5. I'm so sorry for your loss. We had to have our 13-year-old dog, Gypsy, put to sleep just about a month ago, so I have some idea how you're feeling - thinking of you.

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  6. You're in my thoughts, Megan. It is tough and I would encourage you, if you haven't read it already, to read a poem called the Rainbow Bridge. Ringo sounds like a wonderful dog and it sounds like you gave him a wonderful life. Nothing better than that.

    cjh

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  7. So very sorry for your loss, Megan *hugs*

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  8. I'm so sorry to hear this, Megan. I lost my beloved cat Thelma in December, so I also have some idea of how you're feeling. Thanks for sharing a Ringo story with us. Hugs.

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  9. Oh Megan, my heart is aching for you. I'm so very, very sorry. *hugs and hugs and hugs*

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  10. *HUGS* I'm so sorry to hear your sad news. My thoughts are with you.

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  11. Sorry about the loss of your 14 year companion. Our oldest cat is 13 :(

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  12. Thanks so much to all of you for your kind words. It's so hard having a pet because you know the moment you start to love it you're setting yourself up for eventual heartache. Sounds like a lot of you know what I mean. Things are getting better here, but it's definitely going to take time...

    Thanks again to all of you, and hope all your furry family members live great, long lives and that you enjoy every minute with them! :)

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  13. I am so sorry for your loss. It is not easy to lose anyone, and a pet becomes a much-beloved member of the family in such a way that non-pet owners cannot understand. My thoughts are with you!

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  14. I'm just catching up on some of my blog reading and I just read this post. I'm truly so sorry to hear of you losing your dog. I hope the pain heals quickly.

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