Recently one of my writer colleagues told me he’d lost his trusty dog. That dog sat at his feet as he scribbled book after book. When things were good, the dog was there. When things were not so good, the dog was there. Now, with the dog gone, my friend is having a hard time writing. “I didn’t realize how lonely I was,” he told me. Of course, he hadn’t been lonely. His dog made sure he always had someone there to keep him company.
My writing desk
I write with three cats either on my desk, sleeping peacefully, or nuzzling my hands to distract me. Each one follows me from my computer to the kitchen to other places in the house. They watch my every move, wondering when I will pet them or feed them. Their world centers around me. I’m never lonely.
My writer colleague said he couldn’t bring himself to write anymore. I hope that changes because he is a talented scribbler of fiction. I suggested he get a puppy. But, he’s not ready. He needs to grieve for his trusty companion that brought him through all those good and bad times at the computer.
As for me, I know I’ll never be without a cat–at least one. As I age, I’ve made sure I’ve included provisions to care for my animals in my will. To me, there is no solace better than the solace of a pet. They love unconditionally. Your world is their world and vice versa. Sometimes when my cats start getting restless because I’ve been at my computer so long, I want to say, Go away. Let me finish this. But then I realize, they are merely saying, “Mama, you need to pay attention to us. We’ve been patient. Now it’s our turn.” And, they are right.
If you write with a trusty pet by your side, stop now and give them some love. Let them know how much they mean to you. And you might even whisper in their ears, “If it weren’t for you, I could never write!”
What a lovely post and tribute to our cherished furry friends and family. I said goodbye to two senior dogs last year, Buddy a 16 year old Queensland Heeler mix and Sammy a 13 year old black lab mix; I feel your friends pain losing his dog. My dogs have always inspired my writing and hen I built my author website I even have a page just for them- Detective Bud and K9 Sam. I’ve two other dogs now and they’ve nicely filled some big dogs shoes🐾🐾 Sergeant Samson and search and rescue Wally have accepted their writing missions!
Yes, MJ, we often take for granted our furry friends. I love the idea of devoting space on your website for your dogs. I’ve written before on my blog that I don’t like authors who kill animals to show the evil nature of a character. There are so many other ways to do it. Why sacrifice a furry friend? Thanks for stopping by and give Sergeant Samson and Rescue Wally hugs for me. (Just learned from another colleague that her precious dog–her number one companion–has terminal lung cancer. I cried and cried for her. So sad…