RIP Jazzy—A Dog’s Life
Yesterday, my sister said goodby to her dog. Jazzy was 19 years old. The vet told her that Jazzy was the oldest dog he’d ever laid to rest. Two simple injections and her suffering was over.
Needless to say, my sister is grieving today.
It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but old age was robbing Jazzy of her independence. She was incontinent and had experienced two seizures in the last week. She was so thin. Jazzy had a good life, better than many humans. She and my sister had grown old together.
We talked on the phone this morning. Unfortunately, many miles separate us. It’s impossible for me to drive over to her house for a cup of coffee and a nice long chat. Over and over, my sister told me that Jazzy had been the perfect companion, full of unconditional love.
We agreed that the dogs we’d known over the years had offered us the most uncomplicated love we’d ever experienced.
My sister is a semi-retired registered nurse. Her and I have discussed on more than one occasion our intense desire to not linger if and when old age robs us of our independence. Jazzy passed peacefully and we feel good about that.
We both hope to have the same options if need be.
There’s so much that humans don’t understand about death. The minute we took our first breath, however, we also signed our own death certificate. Yet, humans tend to glorify life and demonize death. Someone can choose to give birth to us without our consent. We don’t get any say in the matter whatsoever. We can, however, choose when we die.
To die with dignity is my wish.
I suppose humans will never completely accept death. Maybe we’ll even find a way to live forever. Who knows? There’s a lot of people who want to live forever. Scientists are working very hard to extend the average lifespan. Maybe humans will be able to cheat death some day. That’s not my goal. Quality over quantity is my personal preference.
Jazzy was a great example of living and dying well, however. I can’t think of a better role model.
Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
