Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,
My husband Tommy and I are in the doggie doldrums. We’ve been on the road for nearly four years and it’s been amazing. However, it all changed three weeks ago when our beloved Jack Russell, Bounder, passed away. We miss him terribly and the van now seems so empty. It may seem silly but we don’t have enough to think about or worry about any more. The days seem directionless. I suppose we are finally free to go into all the national parks we have had to miss out on over the years. We have so wanted to go to Karijini and Kakadu and Carnarvon Gorge. But suddenly going anywhere doesn’t seem all that exciting or interesting. How do we get our Big Lap mojo back?
Libby
First of all, Libby, my deepest sympathy to you and Tommy. I know firsthand what it is like to lose a pet and there is nothing silly about the way you are feeling. I would never compare the loss of a dog to the loss of a person you love but there is still a grieving process to go through. After just three weeks, the wounds will still be raw. It may be a cliché but time really is a great healer. Honour Bounder in any way you feel necessary but try not to dwell on the loss. Just get on and do what you do. Get to visit some of those wonderful places that you may have missed as you passed by certain areas in the past. A wonderful, wonderful chapter of your journey has closed but another is just under way. Don’t compare … just enjoy!
Jaclyn
I’ll cut to the chase and tell you what I think you want – and probably need – to hear. There will only ever be one Bounder but you need another dog in your life. Maybe you want to go out this week and get one from a breeder or a pound, or maybe you just want to decide to do it in a month or two … but you do need to know that that hole in your life will one day be partly filled. Some people would never travel with a dog, while others need that extra ‘someone’ to love and to care for. Don’t try to pretend that seeing a sunset at Uluru is more important than feeling that bundle of fur and fun bouncing up to you at a free camp out there somewhere. Because to you, at least, it’s not.
Heidi
