strobefire

In 2011 -

1. My dog died.
2. My grandfather died.
3. My father had open heart surgery.
4. I passed a huge exam as part of my job requirement.
5. I set personal bests in the 10k and the marathon.
6. I lost some friends, met some new ones and regained some old ones.

After my dog died yesterday, I went to the aquarium. At the aquarium, they had a giant 500-pound turtle named Myrtle. She was more than 80 years old, having stayed for 40 years in one aquarium and 40 years in another. She had been caught in the wild, so no one really knew her real age. They said that with a top-flight medical facility and no predators, it was likely that Mrytle would outlive all of us there. It was comforting to know that, that there are some creatures on earth that will outlive us.

It’s been tough to deal with. After it was over, I was struck by how much pets change our lives – they come into our lives so suddenly and they leave just as quickly. When they’re around, we notice every second of it, because they demand so much of our attention and they bring so much life. I woke up this morning with many duties – letting my dog out, making sure he went to the bathroom and came back in, giving him water (although he didn’t drink). And now, he’s just – gone.

After I came home, I couldn’t help but be reminded of him, I went to put the dog gate into the basement and I came across his crate when he was a puppy. Although he never used it since then, it’s still hard to swallow. There are still reminders of him – his food and water bowls, the half-finished bag of kibble, his leash. And even after seeing him go, it’s hard to imagine that he’s gone.