While this is a blog where I generally focus on work and my research interests, I hope you’ll forgive me the occasional personal indulgence or need to process. As I wrote here not long ago, our 14 year old dog, Matilda Jane, had recently received a diagnosis of dementia. Not unlike human cognitive decline, we had no idea how long we’d have with our girl or how quickly things would go poorly.
We had about two months of loving our girl the best we could, but she struggled quickly and mightily and her quality of life was drastically shifting. And so just before Thanksgiving, we did the heartbreaking work of keeping our promise to her, that she could go when she was done.
Matilda Jane, 2010-2024
There is really only problem with loving dogs, you see, and that’s that they don’t live forever.
Our two year old Jack Russell mix, Archer, has struggled in the weeks since with being the only dog. And so, this weekend, we brought home a 3 month old sister for him: Olive Louise. She is a hot mess as puppies tend to be and he is currently evaluating her every move and telling her what’s what. Watching the dog who was the “annoying puppy” just two years ago now be annoyed by the puppy is amusing and probably full of life lessons.
Our job as the humans for these dogs is to do our best by them each day and keep our promise to eventually let them go when they’re ready. As I said in my previous post, my life is forever better for bringing Matilda Jane home. She was treasured, loved, slightly spoiled, and adored for every minute she lived with us. I am so happy we could adopt her from rescue and change her path from what it was. Letting her go was no easier than it had been with the beloved dogs before her, of course. But I am grateful that when she was done we were able to provide for her to go peacefully and quickly in our arms with her best buddy, Archer, by her side.
Archie going to meet his new sister in a festive Christmas sweater!
And now we begin the ridiculously challenging work of raising a puppy…this may be the last time we think we’re young enough for it! Our Olive is starting to show her spunky personality and adapt to her brother (and my dad’s sweet Phoebe Mae).
I have found in my life that grief and joy are intermingled. The immense grief of losing my momma comes from the deep love and joy I experienced in being her daughter. Dogs have been such an important part of our life in the decades since we’ve been married. And there is pain in loving another being deeply when you have to let them go. This was true with Bear and Willow before her and again with losing our Matilda Jane. The joy of a puppy doesn’t fix that, but it certainly brings a spark of life to the house and is keeping the other puppy on his toes paws!
Introducing Olive Louise – she’s not quite still enough for great photos yet!
Thank you Matilda Jane for being our best girl and loving us well. And welcome to the family Olive Louise. Please stop climbing on the table by the couch!
