Forgetting Mia

We’ve now had our weimardoodle puppy, Harper, for five weeks. She’s etched herself into our hearts. We’ve experienced our first trauma together.

After three visits to the vet, a cone, and misery, Harper was diagnosed with Puppy Strangles. It’s a relatively rare autoimmune condition that can get much more serious if not caught early.

I think the whole thing has bonded, myself, and Harper more strongly. With the right diagnosis and medicine, she’s already on the mend.

It’s brought to mind Mia - our 16-year-old we lost in January. We went through many traumas together in her long life. I believe that played a huge part in bond we eventually developed and the pain involved in losing her.

Those 16 wonderful years are filled with amazing memories. But, the reality of daily life is that it goes on. Even cherished memories with loved ones pass into the dim mists of time when compared to the vibrancy of the present.

A puppy is as present as it gets. They engage your time, energy, and attention. They add to that sense of being in the now.

I’ve learned in this process that I did have enough love for Mia’s memory and for Harper. The two complement each. They don’t conflict.

Now is now, though, and then is then. It’s part of the human experience. It happens with loss and change and the passage of time. There’s little we can do about it.

I’m concerned, though. Mia was an amazing companion. I’m not ready for her memory to slip away and become obscured by the power of now.

I am ready to make peace with the fact we have experiences and we have memories. Our experiences eventually become memories.

If we had only to rely on out faulty memories. We’d be sunk. Fortunately, Mia became part of who I am. It’s made me a better puppy dad this time, a better grandfather, and more perspective on the cycle of life. Mia can never leave or be forgotten because she lives on in me. That’s comfort.

So I throw myself into the burning fire of the present and into building a new bond with this new puppy., knowing that as we go, she becomes part of me too.

Just in case no one else has reminded you today, you are awesome!

Ray