My mom sent me videos of our dog in Korea. He is 15 years old. He is getting older and older every time I see him in pictures and videos. This time, I could see the difference significantly.
He started walking slowly and unevenly. Even though I was smiling at the video, my heart was aching. What made me sadder was my excitement about having a new dog. My old dog and my new dog were overlapped and blurred with tears in my eyes.
I didn’t know much about dogs. I was young and naive when I adopted him, along with my first dog who died eight years ago. After I learned how to take care of a dog, I was already too far away. I couldn’t even be there for my first dog when she died. Perhaps the eagerness of wanting to be a better companion for my new dog makes me sentimental. I sometimes accidentally call my new dog with my old dog’s name and that always chokes me up.
I haven’t seen him in over a year now. I’m not sure when I’ll see him but I hope I can have more time to walk with him.