At the weekend, we said goodbye to Calvin and my heart is breaking.
Although he wasn’t my dog, he was the closest thing I ever had to a sibling – he was my furry brother.
When I lost my mum five years ago, one of the things that worried me most was what would happen to Calvin. As it turned out, I needn’t have worried at all. He went to live with one of his ‘aunties’ someone who already adored him and who went on to love him beyond measure. He couldn’t have landed in a more perfect home.
Although I didn’t see him often, there was great comfort in simply knowing he was there. He was one of the last living links to my Mum, a familiar and reassuring presence in the world. Knowing he was happy, loved and living his best life brought me a great deal of comfort over the years.
When I think of him, I’ll always remember how much he loved catching a ball and how every successful catch was followed by a celebratory back roll. I’ll remember how he loved a good Party Ring. Mum treated him to one after dinner every night and I’d like to think those biscuits are what kept his teeth so brilliantly white! And I’ll remember how he always made me laugh, snapping at the air while I gave him a blow dry.
I know everyone thinks their dog is the best, but Calvin really was the OG Best Boi.
In fact, I only saw him last week. We all commented on how happy and healthy he looked. We truly believed there was so much life left in this beloved old dog. None of us knew it would be our last visit, which somehow makes this loss feel even harder to comprehend.
I may not have lived with him but he never stopped feeling like family. He was my fur brother, a keeper of memories and a connection to my Mum that I always treasured.
I’m so grateful to our dear friends, Natalie and Simon and Sandra and Ray who gave him such a happy life and loved him as fiercely as we did. What a gift that was.
He may have been Mum’s – and then Natalie’s – dog, but he was my fur brother too. I’m so grateful for all the joy, companionship and unconditional love he gave me.
As John Grogan wrote, “The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth will ever be.”
Run free, sweet boy. Give Mum a cuddle from me. ❤️
