Thanks go to Sheila for sharing her Healing Tail about Benjie.
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Benjie came into our lives three months after our beloved
dog Mitzi passed over. (She’s
another story). This was to be a momentous occurrence in
our lives.
Who thought this dog, would make such an impact in
our lives.
Who thought he would lunge into our lives and turn us all
upside down - our hearts taken over.
Benjie, a mongrel, was a rescue dog and had the most amazing
character. He was cheeky, playful,
and full of mischief. When we brought him home from the dogs’ home in Leigh I
took him to the vet for a check-up.
“Great dog” he announced
“Ok for him to say”, I thought as he ran around the vets surgery.
“It will probably be about 5 years before he settles down!”
he added.
Sure enough, Benjie took his time. He wasn’t rowdy, didn’t bark too much,
but of course he had to be kept on a lead, I didn’t want him to run away.
He had to be lured to come when we called - it took ages to get him to come to our
side. Somehow he seemed so
frightened of us.
When the time was right we let him off the lead in the park.
This was the start of his daily walks, no sorry his 'daily runs!'
How he loved them.
He would run like the wind,
ears, fur and tail following in his wake. I would often go another way but he
never lost sight of me. Of course stopping off now and then he would pay a
visit to the rabbits and mice and other tiny friends.
Every evening at 5-30p.m. he would sit by the front door
waiting for my husband, his father, to take him for his evening walk. It is amazing how dogs have an inborn
clock - so don’t tell me about dumb animals.
1998 and dear Benjie was getting old and I could tell things
were not as they should be. He was
getting slower in the park and we noticed him lifting his leg longer than
usual. He woke me twice at night to go out into the garden.
Alarm bells began to ring. Taking him to the vet confirmed
our worst fears - bladder cancer was diagnosed.
The vet gave tablets but they didn’t seem to work and as
Benjie became more and more disabled the decision had to be made. I held him in
my arms as the injection was given.
How I cried, but we could not allow him to suffer any longer.
Missing his character was the understatement of the year. He
had a wonderful life and so did we. He was the best thing to have happened to
all the family.
No more dogs now as my legs are not at all good and after
callipers arrived on my legs I knew that was the end of walks for me.
Everyone has good and bad times.
There are thin and thick times in all families. I used to sit down with Benjie when
troubles arrived at my door and he listened to me as I related my woes. He was a
comfort and helped me get the problems off my chest. Good medicine.
What was that television advert: “It’s good to talk”. Well that was me and Benjie, I swear he
knew what I was saying.
His idiosyncrasies were funny. Sometimes he would just stare at me, he wasn’t hungry, just
stared.
I often said G-D sent Benjie to our home. He was a healing dog for my daughter
when she was ill.
He was unique, of course he was special. He was ‘Just
our lovely Benjie’. He was so very special he knew he was loved and we
certainly loved him.
When things were fraught, he gave some sort of calm to our
house as if he knew we were upset. He would sit by my side and look at me with those
bright brown eyes, full of love saying “I am here don’t worry”. That’s what he
was - a calming influence.
Quite right DOG IS G-D the other way around.
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If you would like to write about your Healing Tail please contact me via the comments below or email me and I will send you some notes to help you write your words.
Much Love xx
julia@juliadolowicz.com
* * * * * * *
If you would like to write about your Healing Tail please contact me via the comments below or email me and I will send you some notes to help you write your words.
Much Love xx
julia@juliadolowicz.com
