There are lots of things underfoot in this new year, but something significant is missing from under our feet here at home. Our big dog, Bodhi, passed away last Tuesday. He was 12 and half years old and in dog years he was in his nineties. In June he was diagnosed with lymphoma, went through chemo all summer and was declared in remission in October. Thanksgiving weekend came and his appetite went. In December a dose of new chemo almost took him out, but then he rallied and was eating well and acting a little frisky. On Tuesday past, I came home to find him in a bad way. It was very sudden, the distress was evident and we had to take him to the vet. This is not to say that we did not know this was coming. The decision to do chemo was to buy us a little time. Throughout it all he had a wag in his tail and a light in his eyes. If it was possible, we could not have asked or found a better dog.
He was a handsome devil. He was sometimes called devil dog for a particular look he had, but in reality he had the sweetest disposition. Even the vet was surprised by his demeanor because as a chow/akita mix he was supposed to fit a snarky stereotype. Bodhi was named for being a bodhisattva; a wisdom-being that works for the complete enlightenment of all sentient beings. For us, he did his job nobly well. My heart is better and more full of compassion for having cared and loved this beautiful animal.
My wish is that I could write more to tell you about his full life, but it is still so heartbreaking that I am doing more weeping than writing. The fact is I have been trying to write this post all week. What I want to simply say is Bodhi brought us joy and he is very missed.
