Sharing the path

barrelmakersdaughter.com ♦ August 31, 2013 ♦ 2 Comments

I can’t say for certain whose gait was more labored and stiff-legged–the elderly man or the graying black terrier he walked on a leash. I greeted them this morning with a nod, a smile, and a hello when we passed, walking in opposite directions on the circular path around a large pond. When I neared them a second time it registered that they had not moved far and I noticed him waiting for the dog as she slowly walked beside him. I felt compelled to break my pace and stop to tell him what a sweet companion he had. He smiled at that, and in a phrase that conveyed far more than the words it contained, he looked at me and said, “She won’t eat anymore.” In his eyes I saw the fear of what that means for a dog as old as she clearly was. He was silent for a few seconds. “She’s fourteen, so, you know…,” he added quietly, not needing to finish the sentiment. I know. All pet lovers know.

I asked him if she’d mind if I petted her and he grinned again and said she’d love it. I crouched down and while I stroked her face I implored her to eat a little something. He shared that he had bought some special food for her to try today–said he wouldn’t want to eat that same old dry stuff everyday either. The unspoken hope in that sentence brought the sting of tears to my eyes. In that moment my hope joined with his that maybe, just maybe, new food would be the answer. Please let it be a dog with a suddenly picky palate, and not an aged dog withdrawing from life.

That walk was 10 hours ago and I’ve gotten teary a few times today thinking about it. I left a little piece of my heart on that path with those two. I hope somewhere tonight she has a full belly and is curled up beside him in a recliner and that their special bond gets to go on a little longer.