How do you tell a two-year old their best dog died? I was forced to consider this question a few weeks ago after finding one of our two Labrador’s of nine years lying dead on our back porch.
After ruling the roost at our house for the first seven years of their lives, our two dogs had it made. But when we brought our first child home from the hospital, the dogs got the boot. They were perfectly happy living in the lap of luxury. (My lap, mostly.) They had the best of both worlds: five acres to roam and a nice cool house to come back to when they were overheated and in need of a soft place to rest. Yes, we treated our dogs better than some people treat their children. But when that baby came home, life really changed.
After the kid got bigger, he learned how to avoid the slobbery kisses and dodge the random tail swinging. He kind of started to like those dogs, and before long, they became the best of friends.
It became a daily ritual to “go out and play with Bessie and Shelby”, and when the weather wouldn’t allow it, the kids would gladly stand at the door and “visit”. When the snow and ice came, the boys were ecstatic that the dogs were allowed to come in the house to stay warm. And when the storms blew over, it was pure delight to let them in the garage to help shelter them from the thunder. These are just some of the things I hope my son remembers about his first best friend.
I suppose all children who have pets remember their favorite, and with that comes the memory of their death. As a parent, I wanted to protect my kids from that part of their world for as long as possible. However, we live in a fallen world. It is far from perfect, and my kids will learn all about that soon enough. Having to explain to my oldest that his best dog isn’t coming back is a sure sign that it will be here before I know it.
So I’ve learned that sometimes, when life throws a wrench in our plans, we have no choice but to bear down and go with it. We have to find a way to ease our kids into the real world and all the ugliness that sometimes comes with it. And even if we aren’t really ready for them to know it, we have to tell them the truth. Even if it hurts.
And that’s All in a day’s work.
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