Life is such a tough place sometimes.
People never think that they or the people they love will die.
This week my Uncle's partner of 30 years has died. My Uncle is a very sprightly 86 year old. His partner, who'd only married in the last couple of years, got a brain tumour. Fortunately this week Uncle's daughter has been over from the States where she has lived for the last 20 years.
She was worried sick how he'd get home from the airport after dropping her off. To not only have lost his wife in a week, but to have his girl fly away was a lot for him to deal with.
So I took them to the airport early this morning.
And I managed to persuade Uncle to have a cup of coffee before he went back to his now lonely house.
Now my dog as you know is a fairly fierce beast,or she can be. She'd never met Uncle before, but the minute he walked in she sat beside him to make friends. And whilst he had his coffee she lay across his feet keeping them warm.
How did she know that she had to be so good?
I know that she is sensitive to me, but did she pick up from that it was important for her to behave or did she pick up Uncle's pain. He loved her so much he even asked if she could go on holiday to his house for a couple of days.
Aren't animals amazing at just knowing.
Trix has got a million times better since those far off days 18 months ago when I wished I hadn't taken her on. But recently she has been astonishingly different.
Yesterday my physically disabled friend came for the day, she has to spend many hours lying on the floor, and each time she did Trix just lay alongside her keeping her warm. That is a change as in the past Trix has tried to lie on my friend's mats that she uses.
It's as if suddenly after 18 months she has just got it. How she needs to be with people who come here. Even my sister has stopped being frightened of her.
Once she knows that the people are there by my invitation she just calms down. But heaven help you if I don't want you in the house, cause she is a ferocious guard dog.
This post seems to have moved some way from where I thought it was going and on reflection that is ok, as the feelings about my dear old uncle are a bit too raw this morning.
