Sparkling shards
A glass must have fallen off the shelf
Must have cut myself
Drops of scarlet
It hurts
How did it happen?
No memory of dropping
No vision of throwing in anger
No sense of something going wrong
Then I realize
It's not shattered glass
The shining sharp points are teardrops
Frozen from the coldness that is consuming everything
The ruby specks all around are my broken heart
Yesterday, my doggie, Frank, was killed. While my heart was and still is breaking, I had to make myself consider what Frank's life with me was meant to teach me. Yes, I am one of those people who truly believe that there is a reason for everything. The whole reason for our existence is to learn and get better. So, in order to honor his life, I needed to consider what it is that Frank brought to me.
Here's what Frank taught me.
1. I am capable of great and abiding love. For the last few years, I have avoided the L word, because I have never known love that doesn't fail. And, you know what? That's OK. Love is love even if it is for a short time.
2. I still have the stamina to nurture another soul. Frank was disabled and only had use of three of his legs. I think this is why he was dumped. At first, I thought it would be too hard to take care of him, but it wasn't. He was very capable and extremely grateful to have a family and a home. I looked forward to coming home every day, because I knew he would be waiting for me.
3. Even when we have weaknesses, we can still live fully. Even though Frank had a disability, he didn't know it. Yes, this is probably because he was a dog. Still, it taught me a lesson. Even when the world sees us as broken, we have great gifts to give.
No matter what the tragedy . . . the loss of a parent, the loss of body parts, the loss of a pet, the loss of a job . . . there is a reason. Search for the reasons and the lessons, and you will find a way to keep going.
I am thankful for the time I had with Frank. Hug your fur babies, my friends. Life is fleeting.