Widow's Voice

Paean to a Pup

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I recently saw an article in the New York Times that posed a provocative question: whether dogs help people live longer? Dogs are rightly counted among Man’s best friends, yet, despite citing research suggesting that owning a dog can make us healthier, this article left me unconvinced of its teased central premise.

I have limited firsthand experience owning a dog.  My Lola, aka “the Pup,” a black Lab born shortly after Lee died, during the height of an unprecedented Pandemic, is my first.  The fact that I’m still here, nearly six years later, constitutes slight anecdotal evidence that Lola is at least good for me.

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Considering our relationship, it is no exaggeration to say that I spend more time in Lola’s company than any other living being. I am deeply grateful to have her as my daily companion.

Indeed, one could scarcely ask for a friendlier pup or one with a better nature. And, because there isn’t one mean bone in her entire body, Lola’s high emotional IQ makes her appealing to most people as well as other dogs she encounters. Consistently, folks are surprised to learn that she will be six years old this Summer, as Lola retains a happy-go-lucky, puppy-like attitude.

It is true, of course, whenever Lola catches me and Robyn in a physical embrace (and we do enjoy hugging), she lets out a low, guttural growl to protest and physically inserts herself between us.  Such behavior is disarming rather than aggressive. Robyn and I can only smile and laugh at her jealous antics. It’s taken a little while, but today, even if they remain friendly rivals for my affection, Robyn holds as much love in her heart for Lola as I. Except for the occasional human or canine curmudgeon, Lola has a positive impact on all creatures great and small.

I have come to know and appreciate her unique personality. Whether it involves play, cuddles, or other essential doggie activities, I discern where Lola stands on the day’s pressing issues.  For example, Lola is, and will always be, an insatiable hound.  Fortunately, thanks to her former vet’s valuable feeding advice, I help her maintain a svelte figure of health and timeless female beauty.

When we first arrived in Arizona, I had romantic notions of a boy and his dog hiking freely among these high desert mountains.  However, it didn’t take me long to realize the Sonoran Desert is full of dangerous living things that bite, sting, or stick to their targets, leaving an innocent pup like Lola vulnerable to becoming the next unwitting victim, merely to satisfy my selfish human tendencies.

Today, I would not subject my best four-legged pal to such degradation.

About Gary Ravitz

In relevant part, my musings are for me. It’s one of the ways in which I process losing my sweetest. Of course, Lee didn’t want to die. She had fought like hell, but the relentless cancers kept coming: Skin cancers; breast cancer; head and neck cancer; colon cancer; and finally, the deadly pancreatic cancer. In June 2020, and only after being pressed hard by Lee, her oncologist opined that my wife had from two weeks to two months left to live, turned on her heels and nearly sprinted from the hospital room, never again to be seen or heard from by us. I promptly removed Lee from the hospital and brought her home. It was the right thing to do and I only wish I had acted sooner over “the best” medical advice to the contrary. In fact, my sweet wife only had nine days left to live. At the final, she embraced her own death with great courage and unfailing kindness. It was a truly remarkable display of grace and wondrous to behold. It was my great privilege and honor to be with her every step of the way. And now, it’s my privilege to be able to write a few words to you each week. In a nutshell, I believe every journey is unique, but, hopefully, to know that you do not have to walk it alone can also be reassuring. And, along the way, you might hear a bit more information about me.
Gary