Losing A Loved One

For many of us, losing a beloved pet is as painful and devastating as losing a loved one. They have once become our best friends, too.

Being an only child, I was used to being alone. I didn’t even have many friends growing up because my mom didn’t really allow me to go out of the house. Since then, I only had toys and books as my companions. I wasn't allowed to have any pets because my lola was allergic to them. However, when I was around seven or eight years old, my family adopted a little aspin puppy that we named Poppy. He was a very jolly and energetic dog and he was my first pet, too. I remember back then how I was always excited whenever the school bell rang for dismissal time because it meant that I was headed home to play with Poppy.

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He has always been a bright and playful dog. Whenever he hears the gate open, he scampers inside his cage, excited to see who was coming home. When visitors come to our house, he can’t help but bark at them, like he was saying that he wanted to get to know who this person was. As we didn’t really have much space at home, we’d let him stay in a cage outside. And when there was a thunderstorm, I’d always hear his cries, as if telling us that he was scared. Whenever he is let out of his cage, he gets very excited and starts running around our backyard like a child who has eaten too much sugar. He loves going on walks, too!

As my lola was allergic to pet fur, he wasn’t really allowed inside the house but since no one can resist whenever he starts batting his puppy eyes, he always gets his way and stays inside the house for a couple of hours, running around, marching up and down the stairs. He loved interacting with people, too, especially with my lola (Ironic, isn’t it?) and my dad.

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I was still very young when we had him. I don't even remember much about him now. It’s been almost 15 years since, but I haven't forgotten him. I haven’t forgotten him not because the pain of losing him still lingers, but because he had such a great impact in our lives. I recall one night when he kept whimpering in pain which had kept us all awake and worried. The next day, we brought him to the vet only to discover that he was suffering from diarrhea which led him to be hospitalized for a few days in the clinic.

Poppy was with us for a good four years before he crossed the rainbow bridge. That day was one of the days that up until now I couldn’t forget. I remember excitedly dragging my little school trolley towards the school gate because I saw my mom waving at me. I hugged her and immediately asked her if I could go straight playing with Poppy because I didn't have any assignments that afternoon. She led me to one of the benches and told me that Poppy was gone.

As a kid, I felt lost. You see, being an only child and having no one to play with, Poppy became my best friend. He was always excited to see me when I came home from school, gesturing with his hands that he wanted to come near me. He’d immediately rub himself on me whenever I got near. Losing Poppy felt like I was losing a dear friend. At that time, I couldn’t stop crying for days.

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It was all too sudden. No one even expected it. But the moment they rushed him to the vet in the morning, they couldn’t save him anymore. The pain of his death signifies the grief of time passing, the end of the Poppy era. He was a wonderful blessing during one of the happiest years of my youth.

This was also my first serious encounter with grief. In a way, Poppy has given me one of the most treasured gifts I will ever have: the gift of genuine companionship and love. His death was one of the first lessons and the foundation for how I have dealt with sorrow in the years since losing my other loved ones. That loss became a great lesson because of how much we loved him and how much he loved us.

Though it's been more than a decade, there are still moments when the house seems to be missing something, and we've actually lost a part of ourselves that will never be replaced. I didn't even get to thank him or say goodbye for being my playmate.

My lola, on the other hand, continually reminds me that I gave him a life that not every dog gets to have. A life full of affection, a warm touch and embrace every time I went near him, a playmate, and a family to call his own.

Poppy, we miss you dearly. You will always be a cherished memory.

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