Recently Puzo had a near death experience. Or at least so I thought. Puzo is my English Bulldog who was extremely sick days before his 15th birthday. I had gone away to Majorca for 6 days, and he developed diarrehea when I left. When I returned, his illness would not stop. He would not eat, and everything was coming out of him. Pure incontinence. I was preparing for the worst with each day. Would I have to put him to sleep the next week? With each area I cleaned up, I reminded myself this was a meditation. All my love for him. I distracted myself by binging on the Netflix’s reality show Love is Blind, just to not have to think of the horror awaiting me.
Luckily I was able to secure medication for him prior to his vet appointment, and we celebrated his birthday in pure doggie style, with rotisserie chicken. The day after his birthday, we even made it to the Champ de Mars with his stroller, as his incontinence stopped. The vet confirmed his prognosis. Nothing was wrong with him, he’s just old. I made the realization, that when I go on holiday, his anxiety exacerbates and he somaticizes his stress. The other two times earlier in the year, something similar happened and he acted out. We picked up anxiety meds for my next vacation.
Since his illness has worked through his system, he seems to have a new lease on life. He’s been given another chance, not even a second chance. At this point, it’s easily his fourth or fifth chance on life. He seems to be appreciating life more. I know I am anthropomorphisizing him a bit, yet I can’t help and notice shifts in his behavior. He is waking up earlier in the morning, as soon as the sun rises. He is wanting to take in more of the day. He soaks in all of the rays when we go to the Eiffel Tower, and sit on blanket in the grass. I swear this Parisian monument and park inspires him. People wait their whole lives to visit here, and this is the park we go to several times a week. Puzo tries to get out of his stroller as we near the park or when we leave, his excitement on his wrinkled face shows. He wants to prove he can walk further than I let him. Even on our tiny promenades in our tiny passage, he is walking more with ease and down the hallway. I am witnessing his exploratory nature increase, he is showing me he is not ready to give up. He loves his wanderlust life too much. A dog who my mom purchased for me when I was in my 20s from Amish country to Ohio. He’s jetsetted with me to New York City, California, Hawaii, back to California, the United Kingdom and now Paris. He has a new perspective on life, and so do I .
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring—it was peace.” – Milan Kundera
It Only Takes A Smile 