We lost a friend today. Sweet, soulful Ruby... she was never exactly sturdy. You wouldn't pick her in a dogfight. As a watchdog, she wasn't the quickest to warn when a visitor climbed the back stairs. Her delicate stomach barely tolerated food; she subsisted on a rarefied diet of wild game and fruit. She lived through a lot - with the scars to show it. She survived bites and bloat and trauma, with far too frequent trips to the vet. It's astonishing that she lived to twelve - a testament to Tina and Kitty's years of tender, devoted care. But Ruby did much more than survive. She was a lover, a nuzzler, a sharer of kisses and watermelon. She was beautiful, with an elegance that transcended nibbled ear or shopworn coat. More feline than doggish, she'd cuddle and purr on the couch, curled up like a silky comma. She was goofy and playful and stubborn. She also revealed impressive restraint: however uneasy she felt around kids, she never snapped or raised a paw towards the newest, youngest addition to her tribe. Somehow she found room in her old dog's heart for this baby. At her frailest, she always carried herself with grace. Gentle Ruby, you will be missed fiercely.
3 comments:
I feel very sad for Tina and Kitty. Ruby was their "child" for many years and they will miss her. She sounds like she was very special. Please give them my heartfelt condolences.
What a sweet dog. Twelve years is a good long life, though not long enough. My dogs were always like children to me, and once I had children, I was able to see how much like perennial 3 year-olds they really are. But often with wise souls. My condolences to your friends.
What a lovely post, dignified and beautiful, like Ruby. Thank you.
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