Purpose...

On Sunday, I finished a great book lent to me by a friend here in Lagos. It wasn't a travel book or information about Lagos, but it did pull at my heartstrings.  It's a book she told me about almost 6 months ago...but I thought it was too soon for me to read it.  I knew it would bring back sweet memories of my Bernie....and some painful ones also. For more about Bernie, click here and here.  I don't think I ever understood how much your dog becomes another "being" in your family.  Sometimes, you almost think of them as "human".  I know I didn't feel this way about any dog...even my two dogs my family got when I was in high school....partly because I was too busy trying to be cool with an emphasis on trying and hanging out with my friends. And also because my mom and dad did all the work for them (s orry mom and dad.....I guess I thought I was too far above scooping the poop!)  But, when Guy and I brought Bernie home, she became our whole world.  We had no kids at the time, and since we lived far away from our familes...she was our family.  I can't believe that it has been more than a year since she passed away, and I think of her often.  Last week, I was getting ready in my room and I heard something jingling...I immediately knew it was the unmistakable clinking of her dog tags.  I came out in the living room and saw Jeremy curled up holding her collar with her name tag and his stuffed animal that looks like Bernice. (We have her collar hung on the side of picture of her and Jeremy, you can see above)  He told me "Mommy, I miss Bernie...I don't want her in heaven anymore...I want her here with me."  Of course, the whole sight of him sitting there made my heart crumble, but I knew that I couldn't fall apart. I told him that she had a good long life, and that she was loved and happy.  Now, she didn't have any more pain.  But, after I had him calmed down and we put her collar back, I couldn't help but ask myself if I did give her the best life possible.  Did she know that we truly loved her even when she wasn't our only "baby"?  I always think that with Jeremy we paid a little less attention to her and then when Elizabeth came along, she really got pushed to the side, but I hope she felt we loved her...
So, when I read A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron, it was like a breath of fresh air!   It is such a heart warming tale of one dog's journey through many different lives.  It will pull at your heartstrings but, the theme was the same throughout the book.  He always felt love, and he always wanted to please his family. And, his love was always unconditional.   I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a dog or is even just a dog lover.  It is a wonderful book, but I recommend tissues while reading it.  I know it is fictional, but it helped ease my sadness of wondering if Bernie knew we truly loved her.  She will always have a special place in our hearts.  My hope is that wherever Bernie may be she will always feel safe, loved and most importantly... she had a purpose in our lives.:)