The Kids Aren't The Same

To the artist HS Chang-Tsai -- please accept my appreciation and thanks for your art. I did not know of it until a package sent from you arrived at my home. It was a curious thing, to receive a package from a stranger. I opened it and, on seeing the print of a Shiba Inu looking skyward while the moon laid on the left corner, began to cry. My best friend had purchased the print and a pad of sticky notes. It was her way of showing sympathy for the loss of Ryu, my Shiba Inu and adventure partner.  Ryu lived for 15 years. 12 of those years was with me. He was a constant companion. I often joked that he was my soul mate. Sometimes, it was not a joke. Ryu passed away a month ago. It has been six weeks and I still cry when thinking about him.  Today, I placed your print into a frame. My boyfriend asked where I would put it. I immediately said that it would go onto the desk of my home office. I wanted to see it as much as possible. But after a moment, I reconsidered the decision as a ...

I have the profoundly unhappy responsibility to write the news that Ryu Inu passed away on August 24th. He was in my arms when he trotted over the Rainbow Bridge.  Some of you knew of Ryu's recent diagnosis of kidney failure made earlier this year, just shy of his 15th birthday. His prognosis was quite good, although our veterinarian made clear to me at the time that his at-home treatments would only manage the situation rather than cure it. At the same time, his cognitive abilities worsened over the summer. His eyesight was going dark and his ears were falling quiet, making the recognition of his surroundings very difficult. It was funny the first few times that I found him stuck behind a toilet or closet door. It quickly stopped being funny as the plainness of his growing helplessness became clear. Overall, his body was telling anyone who could see it that it was saying goodbye. I had no idea it would happen so quickly, as his condition worsened precipitously two weeks ago. Ryu w...