This great thing we all know as life doesn't come without loss. It's interesting that with all these world events at hand, the one that has hit me the hardest (so far) is the loss of a family pet.
Those of you who follow my writing know it's not your typical kind of pet. It's not a cat or a dog. For those of you reading me for the first time or just catching up, our pet Sun Conure took flight and can't be found.
This reflection today isn't about what happened. I first wrote a short FML post the day she flew off. It was tough to even find words but I covered the event in better detail a couple days later. Post link below.
https://esteem.app/hive-106444/@inalittlewhile/aurora-flew-off-on-sunday-we-keep-looking-and-hoping
Heartbreak Over A Bird
By any appearance, losing a bird doesn't seem like a rare event to me. I don't mean to say it's common, but in the world of bird owners they do sometimes fly off.
It was also clear that she was a scared bird that wanted to come down from the trees. Gusty winds carried her off to who knows what part of this large area we live in.
She could be shrilling up in some tree top far from our community. Perhaps she flew to another human out of hunger and panic? She hasn't been reported to or brought to any shelters.
Sometimes people keep birds and don't do the right thing to try to return them to their rightful owners. Maybe our Sun Conure was unprepared for the Hawks in the area or couldn't survive the elements?
There are too many possibilities to count and a week has gone by today. I loved this bird more than I realized and as it's time to let go, I wished I would have ensured her better safety. Now all I can do is move forward and check the Human Society website from time to time.
Chosen To Bring In Our Family Dog & A Funny Tale About Her To Lighten The Mood
It's not the easiest subject matter to cover and I don't blame anyone who needs to turn away. But this event reminds me of a youthful responsibility I was given that was far from pleasant.
When mom and dad first brought home our family puppy, she was a bundle of joy and energy. I won't use her name as I'm sure it's a security answer on some stupid website.
Let's call her Penny. Penny was a Poolie, sort of like a Poodle but shorter and thicker. Poolies are a type of Australian Sheep dog if I remember correctly. But she was all curly white and super high energy.
Penny grew up with the family and as she aged, so did we. Kids grew into teenagers and we were all busy with our own lives. Penny was old and not nearly the family attraction that she used be years back.
She sat faithfully on our front porch until her health had deteriorated past the point my good mom could bear. So mom came to me, the eldest, and asked me to bring Penny to the pound. It past her time to go and she was in way too much pain, my mom told me.
It didn't take long to drop Penny off, but I remember it was a horrible drive. It seemed to me she knew she wouldn't be coming home again. During that round trip drive, I had a chance to reflect on all the years she had been our dog. One story comes to mind that I'll never forget.
A Friend Shows Up To The Party - Penny On Guard!
Back in the days after highschool, we had moved to a very nice house. When my parents were out for the weekend, it was a prime spot for all my friends to gather.
One evening the party was in full swing when my friend Phil arrived. The entertainment room was downstairs and in back, making it hard to hear a knock or front door bell ring. Add music to that list and late arrivals were on their own.
Phil parked on the street and knowing we wouldn't hear him, decided to walk down the side embankment. As he approached the house, however, a low almost whispered sound assaulted his ears.
"PHIL!, PHIL!, PHIL!", went the sound that was louder than a whisper with a kind of hissing-like quality to it. At this moment (according to his story) my friend Phil stopped dead in his tracks.
He thought maybe we were messing with him and shouted back towards our front door, the direction the sound was coming from. But the call was unrelenting as it repeated, "PHIL!, PHIL!, PHIL!".
It Was Penny All Along!
As our dog Penny had aged, she developed a habit that became an issue for our closer neighbors. She would bark at anything and everything, and she'd keep at it all night long.
This was a few years before I had to take that fateful trip and my father didn't know what to do to keep her quiet. If we kept her in the house, she'd keep us up all night long.
So instead of having to get rid of Penny at that time (an older dog that would have been hard to find an new home for), my dad decided to remove her voice. She had a surgery to silence her vocal chords.
It may seem mean but it was the kindest thing he could think of to do, and it didn't stop Penny from trying to bark. But instead of a loud WOOF WOOF, she made a soft HOOF HOOF.
And that was what Phil heard coming from the front door that night late to the party. It was Penny still protecting our premises even though she hardly had a voice to do it anymore. Her soft rasp scared the crap out of Phil better than any loud bark could have.
Hope The Story Kindled A Fond Pet Memory For You Too
That does it for my musings today. Loss is a sadness and, like any storm in life, must blow itself out. As the sun shines anew, we are reminded of the gift that came before the loss was ever a possiblity.
Thanks for reading and as always...
Images Courtesy Of Pixabay.com
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