Today is the day. I have had a good, long adventure with my Favorite Person, and it is time. She will miss me, but we traveled together to where we were supposed to travel to, and it is time. This is the Destination.
Standing from my bed is a challenge. When did I get so heavy? Is it because of all the treats? There have been a lot of treats. Peanut butter is, obviously, the best. There have been a lot of nice people, too. Kind of like the treats, I feel like there’s been more of them as we’ve gotten close to the Destination. That’s good, because I love people. They smell so interesting, you just have to lick them. And maybe if they smell so good, you want to nibble – just a little – but, no. Not hard. Lightly. That’s what is Good. And I am Good. I know that. It has been my life’s goal.
My Person opens the door and we move go outside. This is a new door, different than the many other doors, but for a while now is has been the door. Outside smells so good. I love outside. This is not the door for walks, but for the outside with the metal around it. This outside is nice. It has a similar smell as the other, bigger outside, and I can roam around as I please. And there are the small, furry guys to chase back into the trees. They’re good fun, even if they try to take advantage when I’m inside.
The other outside, the one for walks, is an even better outside. There are more smells, even if I have to be on a leash. Leashes are silly. I mean, it’s not like I would go anywhere. Okay, I might go smell all of the things, but I’ll be right back. I’ll always be back. This is my home. Not the wood box part, as I know humans might think – I’ve been in a lot of those – but the place my Person is. That’s True Home.
I miss walks, but they’ve been so hard lately. I’ll still go on them because, well… they’re walks. But if I’m being honest, it’s been hard to enjoy them as much as I used to. Walking hurts. Breathing is much harder than it once was. And I’m so much heavier. It must be those stupid treats. But… they’re treats. What would you do?
I’m thirsty. Can treats make you thirsty? I’m glad the humans put some water here. It’s nice to have water and outside. When it’s cold, you can’t always do that. The water gets hard. But it’s nice today. Perfect really. There’s a breeze, and new smells sometimes ride the wind. New smells are the best.
I pause as the full force of the smells hits me. It’s also bright. Very bright. So, I squint and smell. And then she’s calling me to follow, my beautiful Person. I love her. I really do. She wants to be outside, too. Yes, let’s go sit outside.
Whoa, the Man is here. He’s the Man with All the Smells. So many smells on him. He must be the Person to a lot of dogs. He’s nice, but I already have a Person and I’m very happy with mine. Doesn’t hurt to have a little lick though, right?
I can tell my Person is sad. She just… screams sad. Not really screams as humans scream with their mouth, but screams how dogs scream. I don’t even know if scream is the right word. I’ve only gotten good at words through a very long time of practice and lots and lots of repetition. Which also generally gets me treats, so… I’m happy to learn. I’d do it even without the treats because I’m Good. In fact, my human is reminding me of this even now while she’s petting me. Of course I’m Good. Lick.
I wish she wouldn’t be sad, but I think I understand why she’s sad. She’s sad that it is time. That we’ve reached the Destination. We all know you only get to journey together so long, and then you have to go back to the Big Home. Not the True Home like with your Person down here, but the Big Home up there where all the Persons are. It’s hard to explain to humans because they’re so dense. It just is, and that’s Good. Dogs understand this better than humans. Humans sometimes want to pretend that it isn’t, but it is. Nothing can avoid this. And it’s Good. Humans need to work harder at understanding the Good. Then, I think maybe they’d not be sad so much.
Still, leaving is sad. I get it. I’ve been around enough to understand some of the denseness of humans. Like, I don’t really like cars so much, and sometimes we have to go somewhere in a car, and while that’s not really sad, it’s not the best, either. Not like smells, or treats, or outside with the red ball. So this leaving is kind of like that but without the car. It’s not the best, especially for my human because it is not her time to go to the Big Home. I have to go first. I have to help get ready. It’s part of being Good. So I’m not sad, but I get it.
I’d better go give that other human that lives with us a lick. He’s pretty good too. Not Good good, but pretty good. He deserves a lick before I have to leave. I think I’ve licked everyone that needs licking, and he can be last. It is almost time, and that seems like the Good way to do things. It’s strange how humans always struggle so much to know what is Good. Can’t they just listen to that voice inside that tells them? Maybe it’s not as loud as it is for dogs. Maybe that’s why they struggle so much. They need bigger ears, probably.
Hmm, that lick was surprisingly exhausting. I know you’re supposed to get tired when it is time, but man… it kind of just hits you. It’s not bad, though. It feels good as it washes through me. Relieving. I don’t feel so… heavy. Like a treat for all the treats.
She wants me to lay next to her for one last time. That’s Good. I wasn’t sure because I know I need to look for the Light soon, but it really feels like I can do both. I can lay next to her and the Light will find me. Yes. That’s Good. That’s how it’s supposed to be.
“I love you, Chancey-boy,” she says.
I know you do, Favorite Person. I love you, too. That’s what I was here for. That’s what this adventure was all about.
I close my eyes, allowing myself a relaxing sigh. It feels good out here. Everything is just right. But there’s one more thing I need to tell my Person: She needs to Stay. I know that word. Really, really well. Stay. It’s my turn to tell you, and I scream it as best I can. How dogs scream it, with their whole body: Stay.
It’s time for me, but it is not time for you. I need to go get things ready for you. It is Good, but you Stay. Stay and do all the things we learned together. Stay and eat treats. Stay and play outside. Stay and go for walks. Stay and snuggle and Love. These are Good. And when it is time for you, I will be ready. Because I am Good and you are mine in the Big Home. It just is.
Ahhhh, there’s the Light. It is now, finally, time. What a truly Good adventure we had together. See you soon.