a dog, a life

Fifteen years ago a little wet mess of a dog entered the world while we lived in Chatham County, NC. One of a few to match his mother's eyes, he was her constant companion, and ours too when we wasn't lost wandering the neighborhood. Bapu we named him - affectionally after the friendly nickname of Mohandas Ghandi - I think it means "little father". We had hopes that Bapu, or "Bu" for short, would one day have a chance to pass on his blue eyes but that was not to be. He was a good dog - tender to the family, a good loud bark to strangers, and once in a blue moon defended the family from some of the gang dogs of the neighborhood - even broke a tooth once. Purple heart, so to speak.

This picture is near his peak physical form - he filled out quite impressively. I have lived with several dogs over the years but it was not until now in my adulthood that I was to see one pass on.

Having recently had Sally's father leave this life behind, Katarina is processing this business of dying - she had broke into a song-prayer recently saying "Grampa will die no more, no - he ain't going to die no more, No! He wont die no more!"... sounded like a good old spiritual. This time she started listing things that can die or not (window, mirror, car, hair can't die.) She was sad that Bu died.

Sally and I are sad too - Bapu was almost as old as our marriage. It's weird that Bapu's mother who has suffered more medical problems and dire prognosis should outlast him. And yet it also seems to fit - Spirit has something of an indomitable spirit to her - pretty much why we named her Spirit!

The spirit with which Bapu lived affected many lives - friends and family were accepted and marked with a good lick or three. Spare a moment and lick someone, or some other gesture of belonging, to some friend or family. It'll be Bu's last licks.