I got Luna when I was an over-confident 24 year old. I had my own apartment, all of my Moms old furniture and a full time job. Yes, lets get a dog! I found her in the FREE section of a rag in San Diego, and went to meet her immediately. She was a shy, gentle little pup at six months old. The guy that had her didn't let her inside, ever, since he had her at 3 months old. She was all by herself. I put the leash on her and took her home. I named her Luna, after Julia Butterfly's Old Redwood Tree that she lived in for two years in the late 90's.
The first day she was with me she ate my couch, by feather bed and all my pillows. I put an ad in the paper "FREE PUPPY" and started getting phone calls the very next day. I couldn't have a dog that ate my stuff! What was I thinking! And then, she looked at me. She licked my face. She cuddled up next to me in bed and encouraged me to take her to Dog Park. I made a committment on the third day I had her, that she and I, were going to be partners. That I would be the BEST MOM EVER to her.
She was more than a dog. Seriously. She was an old soul with beautiful almond eyes, lined like Cleaopatras. She was soft and fast, had a fun sense of humor and hated men. At that time in my life, we agreed. She and I did everything together, and I was even able to bring her to work with me every day.
Dog Beach, in Ocean Beach, San Diego was our favorite place. We went almost every day. It was so fun to watch her run, run, run... prance, play and tease. She was a great tease.
Luna barked every single time a man walked through the door. Didn't matter whose door it was. She didn't like men. Led me to believe she had been mistreated by her original owner. No matter what I did,
I couldn't curb this behavior. She was determined to let the guys know she was not a fan.
We slept together in my bed each night. Plenty of nights in my early 20's I went to bed with tears and confusion over something. Wrong guy, wrong job, lonely, etc. Luna always licked my tears. One time, I remember she even licked me up off the floor when I didn't think I could get up because I was so sad.
In 2001, my best friend Amy picked me up, and drove me home to Denver, where I am origianlly from. Luna rode on my lap from San Diego to Denver - the entire way. She was about 40lbs.
We rolled into Denver, our new home and it was good to be home. Luna took to the squirrels and the hiking. Though, we did miss dog beach. We replaced the beach with rivers and snow, rain and digging holes in the backyard.
I was 29 living in a condo with Luna and a new guy came to take me out for a date. He rapped on the door, and when I let him in, Luna walked right up to him and greeted him, even with a bit of a lick. First time ever. I married him.
Luna was there to rest on my pregnant belly. She walked with me to and from the kitchen about 900,000 times. She loved to clean up after me! She played with her new brother, Levi the dog and made space for him in her life, even though she was the princess, and always my Co-pilot.
She welcomed Scout, my first daughter into our home and guarded her from morning until night and then the night through. She loved Scout. When I was pregnant with the second baby, she knew. She guarded me. But I could tell she was getting tired.
When Sawyer was born, she made more room for him. She took care of him and guarded both the kids, and I. She was getting more tired. But she managed to play with Levi, chase the squirrels, jump up in the car to take a ride with Daddy. She never let anyone see her down.
I noticed her body was changing. And she was sick. I took her to the vet and they suggested she might have cancer... or internal bleeding. They gave me steroids and I took her home, because it might be, I prayed, just a virus. I tucked the steroid in her mouth and she went to lay down, and didn't move for many hours. I hugged her and cried my eyes out. I held her. I thanked her. She got up to drink some water and fell. I knew what I had to do the very next morning.
We drove to the Dog Hospital at 7:00am the next morning. I couldn't see through my tears. She rode on my lap just as she did all the way from California 10 years earlier. We carried her inside and she laid down on a sleeping bag in a room. We stayed with her for awhile. I held her and talked with her and cried hard. My insides turning upside down. My literal soul shaking. I couldn't watch her go. I had to say goodbye before she went. I wanted to see her alive. And she licked my hand, when I made that decision as if she was telling me it was okay. I told her I would see her on the flip side. That I loved her more than I knew I could love. I know the Vet took her outside, so she could see the sky before she closed her eyes.
I had to run out of there and I vomited in the parking lot. For three straight months I cried every single day. Hard. I cried myself to sleep. I woke up, she was gone. Her absence was awful. Yet I knew, she was with me. It has only been just under 5 months and I want so badly to see her again. I miss her so much. I miss her eyes. I miss her prance. I miss her spirit.
I will never be the same after knowing and having Luna. I am so glad I made the commitment to be her Mom. We were together for a good long time. Fourteen years.... a lifetime and never, long enough.
I will scatter her ashes in many different places that we visited together. I often think, the life Luna and I lived together was so full and so much... and that has passed now. And that makes me so sad. And so proud of all the things we did together.
I love you Luna. You are my Co-Pilot.
