At approximately 11:35 this morning, I walked out into my back yard and found my five year old golden doodle, Obi, lifeless. No sign of trauma. No sign of struggle or asphyxiation. Just his lifeless body next to the back fence.
Thirty minutes of CPR, a panicked emergency vet call followed by a very speedy trip to the animal hospital and it was made official. Obi is no longer with us.
And we are devastated.
It was a hard slap in the face and reminder that we are not promised tomorrow. But before you start cuing up the Tim McGraw and doing all the things for you – what about turning that lens outward?
An hour before I found Obi, we were in the garage working out together. For me it was 30 minutes of HIIT, for Obi it was thirty minutes of his favorite thing in the world – fetch. I showed up well.
Thirty minutes before I found him, I put him back in the house and jumped in the sauna. I heard him pawing at the door (he always did) but I knew he would shortly give up and go hang with Mom or play in the backyard. I can’t help but wonder if I could have shown up better.
Once I found him, I spent the next 30 minutes giving a dog CPR. In the backyard, in the back seat of my truck, in the parking lot of the vet…until the Vet took over and called it. I showed up well but it was not enough in the end.
We are not promised tomorrow, so yes, go skydiving and rocky mountain climbing but also show up well for those that matter most. You may not get the opportunity to again.
God, I am going to miss nose nudges.
Sorry for your loss Andrew – here’s a virtual hug. You did everything for five years. It was enough. 😊