Hey, hello, hi!
It's been a while since last time but now I'm back and I have some fun news!
Not only have I made great progress when it comes to my unstable mental health, I have taken some big steps in the right direction and I'm feeling much better today than I have been. I know how quickly that can change though and some days are bound to be worse than others, that's life, but nevertheless I feel positive about my future.
Anyway!
Back to the topic at hand. My mum and her partner has brought home a new dog!
A 5 year old lapponian herder who goes by the name of Diiza. She is just adorable and fits into the family perfectly, although she still has some things to learn and adjust to.
It will soon be a whole year since my big sister and my mum's life companion, Alice, passed away. No one, dog or person, will ever be able to fill her place in our family. We will always have to live with a Alice-shaped hole in our hearts. But that's the thing, isn't it? That no dog is like the other. They are all unique and special in their own way and that's the beauty of it. Getting a new dog isn't, or at least it shouldn't be, about replacement. It's about starting a new adventure, a new chapter and making new memories while still remembering the one who used to be. For as long as we keep our loved ones in our hearts and thoughts, for as long as we carry their memory with us, they will always be there.
My mum was very worried and anxious about bringing a new dog into our lives. I remember her saying that she would never get another dog after Alice. That she couldn't bear going through what she went through with her last year.
Which I could fully understand because it was hellish, it truly was, and I dread the day when I have to go through the same with Bobbo.
Although I knew that my mum wouldn't be able to live the rest of her life without a dog companion by her side.
I knew she'd come around when enough time had passed and she'd be ready to start her new adventure.
And so Diiza showed up.
In an ad in a Facebook group, there she was, in need of a new home.
We have had several talks about it and I have always done my best to reassure my mum about the situation. That in my opinion there's no point in worrying and trying to think too much about the first meeting and such. That if it feels right, it is right and if it feels wrong, it is wrong. And that if it feels right it can't be wrong as well as something that feels wrong can't be right.
And since she was worried about Alice, whether she would feel replaced, I just asked her what Alice would actually feel about this whole thing. She never liked seeing me or my mum sad or upset, she hated it, she wanted us to be happy.
She wouldn't want her favourite person to be unhappy and I'm sure she won't ever feel replaced because I think she knows, just as well as us, that no one ever can, could or will.
There is however an unmistakable resemblance between Diiza and Alice, but in a very good way. Diiza has the same eyes like my sister and also the same, if not greater, appetite and love for food and treats. Even though they look almost nothing alike in appearance, except for size and shape, there are several similarities between the two of them and it warms my heart.
So, everyone.
Meet Diiza.
© 2018 Leslie Carlile Photography, All Rights Reserved
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