It’s been five months. It seems that it happened a long time ago, but we still feel a void in our hearts. We still cry. It’s amazing how the memories come all the time. I shouldn’t be surprised. I’m talking about 6 years of our life. Frida was with us since she was 7 weeks old, we raised her, we saw her grow, we were with her every moment of her canine life! So yes, our hearts are filled with memories of those years.
However, along this process, we realized that there was room in our heart and home for a new furry friend. This time we decided to try with a rescue dog, actually, a Mexican rescue dog. Many people asked: why? There are many local rescued dogs available. But honestly, Mark and I are totally aware of the horrible life that many dogs have in countries like Mexico, where dogs are seen like working tools, disposable beings, or a living lab to try all kinds of cruelty. We won’t be able to save all those dogs, but at least we decided to save one. That’s how Maya entered the picture! Maya is a stray dog, from Guayabitos, Jalisco. She’s around two years old and she’s a lovely furry girl! She has been with us for almost 2 months now.
Maya brought fresh air to our home, and along, her own health issues. Maya has challenged our local vets with her very particular problems, and our financial, medical and nursing skills are being tested once again.
At some point I thought if we were a magnet of bad luck. But today I see things different: We have been given the dog we can take care of. We have been given dogs that require lots of care, follow up, attention, compassion, love and we can share that. It’s a struggle, some days it’s not easy, especially when everything we went through with Frida is still so raw. But that experience has made us stronger, wiser, more sensitive. We know better now. And in return, we have been so lucky that for the second time we have at home a sweet, gentle soul, that has so much love to give, and that we are praying we will be able to help. So far there is lots of hope and optimism, and we are sure that after this bumpy start, we will have many years of happy doggy time to enjoy.
So once more I see that the question is not Why? but What for? I’m finding that Frida paved the way so we could be strong for another dog, and I’m sure that she’s so pleased to know that a poor, stray, lonely dog is now with us. I’m not sure that Frida would have loved living with Maya, she was so used to be “only child” but what I feel is that she knew when it was time to cede her place in our home for a dog that was condemned to someday die alone in the streets of a small town.
There’s a new dog at home. And in a short time she has found a place in our heart. Who cannot love Maya? But certainly our love for Frida is, and will be forever one of a kind. My Frida, how much we miss you little girl, how much we think about you, how much you taught us. We were so lucky! And honoring all that love we welcome Maya to our life.
“Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart.” Erica Jong
“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.” ― Karen Davison
A journey with Frida, our Schnauzer 