Monty Boy

I was planning on writing a review of our weekend in Chicago today.  It was going to be a post about remembering who you are when everything is crazy around you.  We wanted to take the weekend to simply be a couple, not hopeful adoptive parents, prospective adoptive parents, or a waiting family.  We wanted to just be two normal people enjoying a normal life this weekend.

Unfortunately, all of the excitement that had been building for the chance to simply spend some quality time with my husband was dashed on Friday morning, when I went out to feed and water Monty, our Golden Retriever.  Sometime between when Troy had fed him on Thursday evening and when I went to him, he had passed away.  Our only warning that something wasn’t right was his loss of appetite and a little stiffness in his joints, both presenting on Thursday.  We had hoped to alleviate both problems with a little bit of wet food, something he always seemed to accept as a delicious treat.  Sadly, whatever ailed him was more serious than we could have guessed.

We’ve always been dog people and have been blessed with owning three wonderful examples of the species and our family has surrounded themselves with canines of all stripes: mutts, designer breeds, and pure breds. And as much as I love all dogs, if I had to create a breed that combined all of the positive traits of all the dogs I’d ever met and leave out all of the negative, I could do no better than God already had when He created Golden Retrievers. 

Goldens are loyal and enthusiastic.  They are curious but gentle.  They genuinely love the company of people.  I think that Goldens have two states:  excited and waiting to be excited. 

Monty was a particularly good example of the personality of the breed despite his skill set being decidedly un-Golden-like.  He was not fond of the water and would go to great pains to avoid the lake, the garden hose, or an accidental dribble from the water jug on his head, though he did have moments when he didn’t want to come in out of the rain.  For a retriever, he was uncharacteristically bad at retrieving, and while he was happy to chase a stick, he was exceedingly reluctant to return it.  He was a smart and obedient dog, but only one of his senses ever worked at a time.  It was not unusual for him to put his head down and start off through a corn field, with me trailing after him calling his name.  It wasn’t that he was ignoring me; it was simply that his nose was engaged and his ears didn’t work when that happened.  When he would lose the trail, his head would pop up, he’d look around and try to figure out where he was and why his mother was calling his name and chasing after him.   

One day, I went out to feed him and he greeted me at the trap door to his dog house barking loudly, excited I was there.  I put my finger to my lips to “shhh” him and said in a whisper, “Use your inside voice.”  He looked at me and then barked at half of his previous volume. 

I know that many people don’t believe that animals will go to heaven.  They feel that a dog doesn’t have a soul.  Well, I can tell you that I’ve looked into the liquid brown eyes of my Golden Retriever and I can say with a certainty that he had a soul and that it was innocent and joyful and kind and enthusiastic for life.  It was full of all the things that God wants of His children.

I am reminded of a story, which I believe may have been from Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone Episode, The Hunt (which itself may be based on an anciet Sanscrit text called the Mahabharata):

An old man and his dog were walking down this dirt road with fences on both sides.  They came to a gate in the fence and looked in, it was nice - grassy, woody areas, just what a hunting dog and man would like, but, it had a sign saying 'no trespassing' so they walked on.

They came to a beautiful gate with a person in white robes standing there. "Welcome to Heaven!" he said. The old man was happy and started in with his dog following him. The gatekeeper stopped him. "Dogs aren't allowed, I'm sorry but he can't come with you."

"What kind of Heaven won't allow dogs? If he can't come in, then I will stay out with him. He's been my faithful companion all his life, I can't desert him now."

"Suit yourself, but I have to warn you, the Devil's on this road and he'll try to sweet talk you into his area, he'll promise you anything, but, the dog can't go there either. If you won't leave the dog, you'll spend Eternity on this road."

So the old man and dog went on. They came to a rundown fence with a gap in it, no gate, just a hole. Another old man was inside.

"Excuse me Sir, my dog and I are getting mighty tired.  Mind if we come in and sit in the shade for awhile?"

"Of course, there's some cold water under that tree over there. Make yourselves comfortable."

"You're sure my dog can come in? The man down the road said dogs weren't allowed anywhere."

"Would you come in if you had to leave the dog?"

"No sir, that's why I didn't go to Heaven.  He said the dog couldn't come in. We'll be spending Eternity on this road, and a glass of cold water and some shade would be mighty fine right about now. But, I won't come in if my buddy here can't come too, and that's final."

The man smiled a big smile and said "Welcome to Heaven."

"You mean this is Heaven? Dogs ARE allowed? How come that fellow down the road said they weren't?"

"That was the Devil and he gets all the people who are willing to give up a lifelong companion for a comfortable place to stay. They soon find out their mistake, but, then it's too late. The dogs come here, the fickle people stay there. God wouldn't allow dogs to be banned from Heaven. After all, He created them to be man's companions in life, why would He separate them in death?"

You will be missed Big Mo.