We don’t go anywhere without our dog. She’s fourteen and a half. We don’t know how much longer we’ll have her. She’s been with us from the beginning of “us.” Like so many dogs, she was the first real commitment—the first other being who needed us to take care of her. She taught us how to care about someone else in that way that dogs do. She was our first child.
Her greatest love has always been water. And so, this year in Cap Ferret, we took her to the gentle water of the Bay at high-tide. The waves are non-existent. Nothing unexpected to knock her off her unsteady feet. At first she just sat, sinking in the sand, her legs folding under her at odd angles like they do now. (In her old age, she’s become a yogi, surpassing impossible tests of flexibility and holding unthinkable positions while maintaining a relaxed mental state.) She looked out at the water as if to say, “Hmmm. What exactly am I supposed to do with all this wetness?”
And then it came back to her. She let the water lift her up and away from the weight of her own body. She headed out toward the horizon, her tail acting as rudder (her tail hadn’t forgotten how to do its job!) And she was off, making large, lazy circles in the water like once upon a time. This was probably the last time she will swim, so I was both really happy and really sad to witness it. But dogs don’t let sadness linger. She shook off my melancholy along with the excess water and said, “I’m done. Let’s go home and dry off.” So that’s what we did. Once back at the house, she had one more thing to say: “It ain’t over ’til it’s over, so cheer up.”
[If you enjoyed this post, you might also like to see Luna in another blog cameo. “Thing 1: The Sea.”]
The Daily Cure 
wonderful!
so perfect
That dear dog! I remember when she was a puppy, spinning around on the end of her first leash, until you got her a regular harness that let her know which end was the front! Love, love–Mom
Always trust worthy, always there, always happy to see you. Great images of her tootling around the bay. I bet she was really happy with her day out.
We had Musti from the time my brother was a baby until he was about 15. They went everywhere together and Musti took his job as personal body guard very seriously. When they go it is terrible, but you wouldn’t be without them.
Wonderful dear old dog..I love her. If you can read my post entitled Our Buddy Holly. ( By the way…loved your garden arrangement with the ladder, tools, plants…..)
sigh…sniffle…….sigh. noble.
Pingback: Closed/Week in review | The Daily Cure
Awww, Sweet sweet Luna! I was there the day you brought her home! Tiny, floppy puppy in need of a name, remember? We played in your long hallway and I loved her immediately. What a wonderful, good companion she has been. Wish I could give her a hug.
OMG! I’d completely forgotten that you were there…but YES we picked her name together, discussed what would work. I remember! And you made that lovely pesto with almonds and mint and gave me a manicure! (That was luxury!) What a milestone. Funny thing about hugging her…I often hug her, but she doesn’t even seem very interested in the attention any more. It’s so sad. And yet she seems content in her aging state. As long as she’s not in pain…
Pingback: In Memory: Luna January 28, 1998 – December 20, 2012 | The Daily Cure