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GRATITUDE RUFF RUFF
Lessons from Nemo
Love, loss, and life lived to its fullest
Almost two decades ago, I succumbed to family pressure and added a dog to our family. I wasn’t sure why because, as I repeatedly said,
“I can’t even consistently get dinner on the table.”
But they wore me down, and so I reluctantly said “okay” and counted on my family — mostly my husband — to carry the load.
After fourteen years of living and giving, our furry love bundle named Nemo said goodbye. It was one of the toughest days, weeks, and even months of my life. Adding Nemo to our family will remain one of my best life decisions — on par with picking my mate.
It also opened the door to grief, the level of which I had never expected. I would cry at the drop of a hat. When people on the street saw me walking Teddy, our puppy, they would ask, “Where’s the other one?” I couldn’t even get the words out. I would just shrug speechless, and then my tears followed.
I was a bona fide mess.
On my many days of being Nemo’s “boss” (a title I’m not sure I earned or lived up to), I would hear him before I would see him. He had the loudest howl as he would greet people by stuffing a toy in his mouth, which helped him produce a clear, rich sound —…
