One Life
by Jordan Dane

This is completely off the subject of publishing, so please forgive my self-indulgence.

My old dog Feliz passed from this life on May 22nd after sixteen years of sharing her love. As I knew it would, her death broke my heart. It's been hard to focus on much else.

Grief manifests itself in many ways. My husband and I still hear the click of her nails on tile, still see her shadow at the door, and we still linger at the garage, waiting for her to show and claim a biscuit. All of these moments are products of our wishful thinking and old habits are hard to deny, but it's amazing how well she trained us.
If Stephen King's story in PET SEMATARY were true, we'd gladly welcome her back to this life, even if she were the spawn of Satan. That's how much we loved her.

Her full name was Feliz Navidog. Yes, she was a Christmas present, but not for us. We had given her to my parents with the caveat that if they truly didn't want a puppy, they could return her to us. And within two weeks, back she came.

In hindsight, she was the best present we ever got. We nearly called her "Boomerang", but in Spanish, the word Feliz translates to "happy" and that suited her just fine. She always had a smile on her face.

When she was a pup, she had a dark muzzle, one ear up and one down, a curled tail and an unfaltering bounce to her step. People often asked us what breed she was. In truth, she was a German Shepherd Chow mix, but we lovingly called her a “Somma Dog”--because she was somma dis, somma dat. But one man's mutt is another man's idea of perfection.

Feliz had many admirable skills, despite her questionable lineage. She was a practitioner of puppy telepathy, transmitting her thoughts to us with a meaningful stare. She spoke the language of human beings with unfailing accuracy, developing an extensive vocabulary. Balancing a biscuit on the end of her nose then tossing it into her mouth had become her signature move. In later years, she mastered sign language when her hearing was failing. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Every morning of her life--without fail--she awoke for the sole purpose of pleasing us. We saw it in her face and felt it on her warm wet tongue. She never tired of the routine or the mundane, even after her joints got stiff and her eyesight grew dim--because in her mind, she was always that puppy with a bounce in her step.

Dogs remind us that love should be unconditional. In their world, friendships begin with a well-placed and unerring sniff--completely devoid of an ulterior motive or personal agenda. If you pass the sniff test, you're in. No cover charge and no membership fee. With a mere wag of a tail, a dog can make you smile and lift your spirits. We can all learn from them--because their love comes from a higher place.

So, in memory of my old dog, I'd love to hear your favorite pet stories--something to lift my spirits, if you feel like sharing. The gift of a smile would be greatly appreciated.