I wanted to share Mike Kerrigan’s poignant words from the Wall Street Journal about his nightly ritual with his elderly blind, deaf Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Rudy:
After dinner my ailing dog and I sit together. I play songs that remind me of him, hoping they won’t be impossible to enjoy when he’s gone. Sometimes it’s Neil Young’s “Old Man”; less often it’s the poignant “Feed Jake” by Pirates of the Mississippi. I hold Rudy close before taking him to bed.
Strangely, this routine has calmed me at least as much as it has Rudy, for our time together reminds me of something important: Whether life is long or short, all anyone possesses is the present, and all that matters is what is done in it. In that precious moment, the Old Man simply basks in love.
What a wonderful way to go through life—choosing to give and receive love, both acts of the will, in every moment. For me, what a triumphal reminder that the source and summit of the created universe is the perpetual presence not simply of something loving, but of Love itself.
It certainly rings true for me. I sleep with an Australian Shepherd at my head and another at my feet every night. I’m not sure who’s comforting whom.
It has been 5 years, and I still miss my little dogs. I like remembering the crazy things they would do.
Most people enthusiastically agree
You should watch “Birth Gap” on UTube.
You and I won’t be here, but a world without young people is coming soon.
Does Jack sleep in the room with you and the rest of the pack?
Jack sleeps in a crate in an adjoining area. I look forward to when he’s with the rest of the pack.
Grey Shambler:
It won’t be a “world without young people” but young people will decline in numbers and their significance will change.
I have eight nieces and nephews and, at this point, they in turn have nine kids, all infants or toddlers. When they’re done I expect a couple more.
Additionally, nearly all African countries have huge birthrates. That will have less effect on us than on the ethnic states of Europe. For example, Niger has almost four times our birthrate (46 births per 1,000 people compared to our 12). The natural destination for people from Niger is France.