It seems like a lifetime ago when the last thing I would see each morning before heading out the door to go to work was my little dog Bodhi’s big brown eyes and his tilted head with big floppy ears up, as if asking “Can I go with you?” We both were left broken-hearted, but it was the daily routine.
The current pandemic has brought everything to a screeching halt. We’re all trying to figure out how to keep busy while keeping staying put. Many of us are using technology to stay in contact with the outside world and it has allowed us to do many activities from the comfort of our favorite chair. This change is not only affecting ourselves and our human companions, but our pets are well-aware of our new lifestyle.
Since being home, I can feel that the bond between human and canine has gotten stronger. I am walking him daily, whereas before, I would try to walk him whenever I found the time. I also take him on my runs to the local jogging path. We share mealtime, Netflix time, and bored-out-of-my-mind time. His separation anxiety has quelled, obviously, and now he is my comfort when I am feeling anxious about the current uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring. I feel like I can cry without judgement. I even talk to him sometimes telling him how scared I am. He is always there to listen. I know he’s just happy to have me with him all day long.
We are both fortunate to be practicing social distancing together. I am learning a lot about him as he is about me. It will be tough to leave him once I have to go back into the office everyday again. For now, though, those big brown eyes and floppy ears rest on my lap and that is happiness for both of us.