Jeter: Well, this blog post will probably be short and sweet. Josh “came home” on Tuesday (Valentine’s Day!). I had to sniff the wooden box his ashes came in, because that is what I do. Mommy put the box on a table, and draped it with Josh’s favorite toy. Surprisingly enough, even though she COULD grab it if she wanted to, Alanis has stayed away from the toy.
Alanis: The temptation is there, trust me! But, for some reason, dogs that have entered this house have always known what is theirs and what isn’t when it comes to toys – Mommy has a big display of stuffed animals in multiple areas of the house, and we never touch them!
Jeter: I heard a story about how mommy once bought a Halloween blanket, all rolled up. She put it down on the couch, and Josh walked by and took it!
Alanis: Now, that is something I might do!
Jeter: It is still sad that Josh is no longer here – his “cone of shame” is actually in the exercise room, and I sniff it every time I go in there.
Alanis: What I find amazing about you Jeter is that you NEVER touched the bowl that Josh drank out of. Me? I don’t care – I drink out of whatever bowl is available. But you always stayed away from that bowl…..
Jeter: Until this week, right? All of a sudden, a bowl I indeed never drank out of has become probably my favorite bowl. I think I am finally realizing that “physical” Josh isn’t coming back – I can still smell him on certain things, but I probably no longer feel his alpha presence. He never yelled at me for drinking out of “his” bowl, but indeed, out of some sort of respect, I never did until this week.
Alanis: We are such interesting creatures – those humans will never figure us out completely! And thank goodness for that…..
Me: There was a bit of “finality” when Josh’s ashes were delivered on Tuesday. Finality in that everything has now gone full circle and he is back home with us forever. His physical presence is missed – Colleen and I even talked today about how Josh always made his presence known. When he entered a room, he didn’t just nudge the door open – he slammed through it. When he wanted to come in from outside, he didn’t just sit by the door like Jeter does – he barked and jumped until we let him in. He truly was a dog who had a presence about him – a confidence you just don’t see in many dogs. Josh will always be a huge part of this blog, wherever it may lead. But the new normal has certainly set in for all of us, including the dogs.