An orphaned four year old dog named Rex meets a longing family who is eager to fill their hearts with a new friend. They are not worried about the dog’s bad habits, his loud bark, or his boundless energy. They can see that he is smart and eager to learn. He responds to their attention with the same vigor as he does to his food bowl.
For eight years, the children and Rex grow up together. They play together, annoy each other, and rejoice in unison when treats are dispersed.
Rex causes grief, as labs can. He eats Mom’s flowers, steals pizza out of the hands of children, and swipes roast chicken off tables. But still he is loved.
Slowly, age catches up to Rex, given away by a limp and and a gray muzzle. Peach remarks that even though he’s old, Rex still enjoys a good squirrel chase.
Until the day he let the squirrel pass without so much as the blink of an eye. He also stopped noticing, or caring, when visitors entered the house. And he couldn’t be bothered to get up for dinner.
“It’s time.” Mama said, but even she wasn’t sure. Is he suffering? What would he want?
The family waited, maybe too long, to make the decision. Objective eyes assured them that Rex needed to be freed from his cumbersome body.
So the family made THE appointment. They smothered him with love those last few days, feeding him previously forbidden treats and giving endless belly rubs. A stepping stone was made in his memory while big tears fell.
Mama holds the empty collar and slack leash, missing the tug at the other end. Peach plays the blues on the piano, then asks to go shopping – her girlish escape. Beagle reminisces about the time he convinced Mom to let Rex sleep in his bed. Rex was the brother he never had. Husband attempts humor and Principessa just sobs.
Life, in its busyness, tricks us sometimes into believing that pets are just another chore. But when they leave us, the enormity of their contribution to the family crashes into awareness, leaving a gaping hole. Life is strangely quiet without Rex. We are a family minus one – one loud, lovable lab.
Chaos & Clarity 