Shadow

Shadow: May 8, 2001 – January 17, 2015

 

I’ve posted this image once before as it’s long been one of my favorites.  That’s because it always seemed to tell the story of Shadow, our Lhasa Apso.

This past Saturday marked the end of an age, the phase of living in this house, with kids growing into adolescence and then adulthood, of a small grizzle colored family member who always came to the door to greet us.  In the past few months, he grew tired, confused.  He was blind in one eye, had failing sight in the other.  He was deaf.  He didn’t always come to the door when we arrived and he stopped sitting on our laps when we watched tv.  But he huddled beneath our feet whenever we congregated anywhere… he grabbed a toy and brought it over for a toss, even though he couldn’t really chase it anymore.

I walked him the night before for the final time, an act I had repeated maybe 5,000 times.  July nights, wearing flip flops and shorts while I admired the setting sun.  February evenings at zero degrees and a frosty wind and just wishing he’d hurry it all up.

Saturday night I stared out the window and onto the spot where he and I stood all those nights before.

We held him in our arms on Saturday and said farewell.

Phases turn… it’s the passing of an age.

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