Goodbye To Mowgli

Mowgli - our first baby, our buddy, our travel companion -  you taught us how to grow from couple to family.

When we brought you home to our Manhattan apartment, you were a tiny ball of golden fur wrapped with a green ribbon.  We didn’t know much about parenting, but we were confident that we were ready.  It wasn’t too hard.  I didn’t really need to sleep at night, and mostly I didn’t mind hauling you down fourteen floors for your frequent potty breaks.  Hey, it was good training for parenting newborns.

We soon learned that our lifestyle would be completely changed.  No more lazy Sunday mornings, or last minute trips.  We were solely responsible for your health and happiness.  But, you kept us healthy and happy too.

We had to learn to live balanced lives - regular meals, daily exercise - because you needed these. 

You changed our travel and leisure plans too.  Instead of city visits, we went to places recommended in books like The Dog Lovers Companion.   Mowgli, thank you for helping us slow down and appreciate nature. 

Not that you were perfect.  I still can smell the memory of the backpacking trip where you discovered the ultimate canine pleasure of rolling in human feces.  Ugh!  And we weren’t too thrilled the time that you stole our marinating steaks when we were camping far, far away from any grocery stores.

You didn’t always appreciate nature yourself.  I didn’t think you would ever return to the desert after squatting on a rattlesnake at Joshua Tree.  But this experience only taught you to fear the scale at the vet’s office.  I never really understood why you hated the scale.  Did you realize that we changed your diet based on your weight?

You probably didn’t notice.  It wasn’t as if you were ever hungry, even when you gave us “the look.”  How could you be hungry as you valiantly performed your daily chores as the canine vacuum?  The kids always made sure that you had lots of tasty tidbits.

You deserved all those treats, especially your favorites.  You liked cheese and ham, and all those savories that Grandpa used to spoil you with.  And you polished the bowl when staying at our friend’s canine resort where every night you got a home cooked chicken dinner.  But we knew what you really loved - marshmallow peeps and blueberry muffins!  Easter was definitely your favorite holiday.

Mowgli, you were “the good dog.”  You gave us unconditional love, devotion, and companionship.  We love you, and miss you.

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