On Wednesday, July 11th at 3:30pm, I lost my boy.
A day that started like any other one,
but quickly became the most
painful day of my life.
Some people may say that my dog died on that day.
But it feels like I lost a child. A best friend.
A creature that brought balance into my life,
more happiness than I could ever wish for,
and showed me the true meaning
of unconditional love.
Joon was always by my side.
Sadly, now I’m the one who’s by his side,
typing this while sitting next to his final resting place-
a corner of my backyard that we devoted to him.
It still feels surreal…
He had the strength of an ox, but his love for everyone
and all creatures guided each of his actions. Two weeks ago,
he found a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest…
Quietly, he came to get and guide me toward his
discovery. He stayed very cool and pretended
that nothing was going on, he DID NOT
want Vik to know about this.
She was busy chewing her toy at the other end of
the yard. My boy was smart, he knew the bird
would be killed if Vik found out.
He made sure she didn’t.
I set up a ladder and placed the bird back in its nest.
It squeezed itself between its siblings, and soon the
mom came to feed them all.
Joon watched the entire rescue mission attentively.
My boy had saved the baby bird’s life!
He was such a gentle giant…
He brought infinite joy and happiness into my life,
every single day. His presence made each morning
a good one. The first thing I saw when opening my eyes
was his big, adorable and goofy face staring right at me.
Wagging his tail, hoping for his favourite
words: “You want breakfast?”
After his meal, he would sigh and whimper while I had coffee,
waiting for his 2nd favourite question: “We go for a walk?”.
Same scenario every evening at 7,
this time for supper and a walk.
As soon as I got up to feed him he would guide me toward
the kitchen, happily hopping all the way
down the hallway. Like a teenager who just
got a “yes” after asking a crush out on a date.
All that joy for a simple meal!
Joon taught me to appreciate and be grateful for the
simple things in life- Family, friends, health and love…
He got a kick out of making us laugh, especially when family or friends
would visit. He clumsily bounced around with his toy and
acted like a puppy, a big clown!
Like many adult ridgebacks, he was lazy.
All he needed was his morning and evening walks/runs,
the rest of his time was devoted to loving,
counter surfing and resting.
Juno’s favourite activity was “watching TV”, his ears perked up
and head tilted whenever we said those words.
For him- it just meant cuddling on the living room couch!
I miss him so much.
Now the house feels empty, couch feels cold
and waking up without him is painful.
Same thing for going to sleep
at night. I miss his loud, funny yawn.
I miss the noises he made while circling his bed 50 times before finding
a comfortable position. And finally- the long sigh, he was comfy.
Ready to sleep. Goodnight baby Joon.
Owning a dog is the saddest and happiest of life’s experiences.
You spend around a decade loving these amazing creatures.
They love you right back, exponentially. They show
you the real meaning of loyalty and unconditional love.
And one day, which always feels too close to the day they first
came into your life, you have to say goodbye.
These 9 years felt like weeks. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
Even though the pain becomes more tolerable with
each passing day, it still physically feels like
there’s a hole in my heart.
To ease the pain, all I can do is focus on the laughs,
happiness and great memories he brought to our lives.
And remind myself that we also gave him
the best life a dog could ever wish for.
Goodbye baby Joon. I miss you like crazy,
but will never forget you. You were a blessing.
You taught me to cherish and be grateful
for each day spent with loved ones.
And brutally reminded me that any
one of those could be the last…
Thank you, my boy.
I love you. Forever.
Juno
April 19th 2009- July 11th 2018
Midlifemorphosis 