Dogs Are People Too

Jan's mom died two months ago. We took Riley with us to the cemetery earlier this week. Normally, when confronted with an expanse of grass like one finds at a cemetery, Riley becomes a whirl of ceaseless activity, sniffing every blade of grass in sight for yet another place to mark his territory.

When I patted the grave and told Riley that Meme was there, he became very still, and lay beside her marker until we left to go home.

Jan's parents had lived with us, and Riley loved having them there. He flew down the stairs to their apartment twice every day to get snacks from MeMe. After Buddy died, he started spending a lot more time with Meme. It was as if he knew that she needed him to be there with her.

But since MeMe died, Riley has refused to go downstairs. He normally follows my every step like a shadow. But now, whenever I go downstairs, he refuses to go with me. He will lie at the top of the stairs and wait for me to come up.

Somehow, he knows...

My friend Jeff Bjorck (www.purepiano.com) said that, although the Bible says nothing about our pets going to Heaven, it doesn't absolutely forbid it. That's a good thought; I would like to see Riley there. As it is, when he dies, I will have to go to grief counseling...

Riley at the top of the stairs