Sometimes life is more strange and surreal than it is at other times. This week has been one of those weeks, beginning with a near-stranger knocking on my door, crying the other day. I helped the old woman carry her 60 pound dog back into the house because it had "fallen" down the stairs when she let it outside. The poor pup was old, too, and obviously very sick. I could smell death on its breath, despite her bright eyes and wagging tail. The old woman begged me to try and make her dog better. It broke my heart the way a heart breaks when it knows it can't fix things. I suggested soft blankets and a water bowl nearby, and that I'd check in with her regularly.
Today, I warmed up my jeep well, made a soft bed in the hatchback, and backed it up to her door. We put the woman's precious baby inside. The bright eyes and waggy tail from a few days ago weren't there anymore. She heaved and struggled.
I'm not sure how I felt as this woman hung onto me with one arm while stroking and kissing her dog as the vet did what needed to be done. I'm not sure what I felt when the woman looked at me, not even realizing that it was over and asked: "Is she gone yet?" Surreal beyond surreal. A near-stranger hugging me and crying and me consoling.
And amidst this beyond my comprehension experience, I feel deeply honored that she felt she could turn to me. I think I am most deeply touched by that. Tomorrow is grave-digging day.
