Under the hobby table in a corner of the basement is where I
stored it. She had only used it for
three months before that aggressive liver disease claimed her body. Her 80 pounds were well supported and the
bolster gave her the chance to prop her head into her favorite sleeping
position. In a corner made by my nightstand,
the wall and the bed is where she had slept for years. The new bed was meant to comfort her aging
bones and it fit perfectly in her spot next to me. On that rainy day two Junes ago, I moved her
bed to a spot under the hobby table. I
couldn’t let it go nor look at it sitting empty beside my bed.
If Pup, the greatest dog ever in the world, had had a son, I
think she would have wanted him to answer to the name Zip. She would have wanted him to be an exuberant
lad who could play as long as the kids around him wanted to run and chase,
throw and fetch. She would have taught him
to be a gentle soul whose calling was to always smile, to come when called and
to snuggle close to everyone who loves him.
Pup would have shown him just the way to sidle up when he was needed to
chase human stress out of the room and let a sense of calm form a bubble around
him and his mom, his brothers and his dad.
Labrador Retrievers got their name from the Labrador region
of Canada but they originated in Newfoundland.
(You know - like Chop Suey was invented in San Francisco or Brooklyn and Italian
Pizza came from Greece.) Since there was
already a breed known as the Greater Newfoundland from the region, this new breed,
derived from the St. Johns water dog, emigrated to England and became known as
the Labrador. Over the next few decades, patterns of trade and
travel changed dramatically. Owing to a
rabies quarantine in Britain and sheep protection statutes in Newfoundland, Labradors
became virtually extinct in their homeland. But this remarkable breed of loyal, loving
dogs had planted their paws in a place where their skills and traits were highly
appreciated.
With webbed paws and a coat that could shed water better
than a Gore-Tex rain suit, Labs became the companion of choice to hunters of
water fowl. With their buoyant coat and
swimming strength, some Labs were trained to tow nets of fish to shore in the
coastal fishing villages of England. The
innate desire to please was evident from the breed’s earliest days. Labs were durable, hard-working and took
great joy in bringing the prize back to their human partner.
When you meet a Lab, you will have found a friend unless you
intend to do harm to his family. While
there is not an ounce of viciousness in his body, the Labrador Retriever will
stand his ground and protect his person without any hesitancy, regardless of
the pain he might suffer. They are care
givers. When I was sick, Pup would take
up the vigil next to my bed or my chair.
She would only ask to go outside when the need was absolute and she
would eat less than half of her normal consumption. Her job was to look after me – nothing would
prevent her from fulfilling her calling.
So, after sitting empty for many months, her bed has been
filled again. Not at our house but in
the house where Pup went to visit and where she stayed when we were away. A little boy named Zip has come to live with
the Grays. Zip likes to hang his head
off the edge while he sleeps.
As I look at the picture of him in her bed, I like to think
that Pup left some guidance there. Zip might
find new insights as he burrows his nose into the crooks and crannies of that
comfortable bed. Somehow he’ll know that
there is wisdom in the footprints left from two years ago. He’ll sense Pup’s presence in shape of the
foam and he’ll hear her counsel about what to do. Not her son but Pup might have left him the
motherly advice that is essential to every young boy becoming a gentleman. Puppet bequeathed a place for Zip to rest and
set an example for him to follow. He has
already shown he’s up to the task. His
yellow coat is a like a new sunrise.
--td