Episode 561
Give Your Dog an Extra Hug Today — I Miss Lumen
I had to say goodbye to my dog Lumen on Friday after 16 years together. She came from the Fayetteville Animal Shelter and was absolutely terrified of cars, so road trips were basically a no-go — happy to stay in her bed and judge me from the yard. She had the funniest little life: terrified of Pupperoni in the truck, once got into a margarita and legitimately acted like she'd closed down a Mexican restaurant at 2 a.m. Her hips got so bad that walking became painful, and last week I made that awful decision every pet owner dreads because it was the kindest thing to do. Grief sucks, but if the price of 16 years of that sweet, ridiculous love is one big hurt, I’d pay it every time. So do me a favor today — hug your dog, take ’em for a walk, give ’em extra time — those dumb little moments are gonna mean everything.
Takeaways:
- I shared how Lumen, my adopted pup from the Fayetteville Animal Shelter, was terrified of vehicles and never liked rides.
- Once she got into my margarita and ended up hilariously drunk—next morning she looked like she’d closed a Mexican restaurant at two a.m.
- After sixteen wonderful years together, I made the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye when her hips made walking unbearably painful.
- Grief is brutal, but I’d gladly pay that price again for sixteen years of goofy, loving memories with her.
- Do me a favor: hug your dog, take an extra walk, and savor those ridiculous little moments while you still can.
Transcript
Good morning.
Speaker A:It's Haystack.
Speaker A:And, you know, I try to spend about four hours each morning doing my best to make you laugh or giggle or have a good time.
Speaker A:I generally try not to get too serious about much of anything.
Speaker A:But today, if you'll be so kind as to indulge me for just a couple of minutes, I want to tell you about a pretty special girl.
Speaker A:Her name was Lumen, and she was my dog.
Speaker A:And Friday, after 16 years together, I had to say goodbye to her.
Speaker A:Lumen came to me from the Fayetteville Animal Shelter when she was just a puppy.
Speaker A:And I don't.
Speaker A:I don't know what happened to her before we found each other, but that dog was absolutely terrified of vehicles.
Speaker A:I always wondered if maybe someone dumped her out of a car when she was little.
Speaker A:I don't know what happened, but I tried everything to convince that dog that riding in my truck could be fun, that we're gonna go somewhere, it's gonna be great.
Speaker A:And she'd have a good time when we went to where we were going.
Speaker A:But, you know, I. I'd pick her up.
Speaker A:At one point, I got in the back of my truck in the bed, and I had a friend drive very slow around the subdivision, and I put her in my lap.
Speaker A:I gave her pets and tried to give her her favorite treats, and she just would.
Speaker A:Would shake and tremble, would not touch the treats.
Speaker A:You know, when a dog won't touch the pepperoni, that.
Speaker A:That she scared.
Speaker A:And so eventually, I basically accepted that Lumen was not really interested in seeing the world.
Speaker A:She was.
Speaker A:She was perfectly happy with her dog bed and her backyard and our walks around our neighborhood.
Speaker A:And with me, she didn't need to go anywhere.
Speaker A:She was already exactly where she wanted to be.
Speaker A:Now.
Speaker A:She wasn't always a perfect angel.
Speaker A:One time.
Speaker A:One time, she got into a margarita I had left setting doubt.
Speaker A:And let's just say she apparently developed a taste for tequila, right?
Speaker A:I let her have a little more, which, in hindsight, probably not my finest moment as a responsible pet parent, because that dog got drunk.
Speaker A:And I swear to you, the next morning, she was lying there with her paws over her eyes, looking like she'd just closed down a Mexican restaurant at 2 in the morning.
Speaker A:And I think that was the.
Speaker A:Think that was the only time in her entire life that she said, okay, it's all right to bedrot a little bit.
Speaker A:It's okay to not get out of bed in the morning.
Speaker A:And that's the stuff that you remember, isn't it?
Speaker A:The ridiculous little moments the funny habits, the way they look at you when you come home, like you've been gone for three years instead of three hours.
Speaker A:And Lumen got old and her hips got really bad.
Speaker A:And eventually just getting up and walking became a terrible pain.
Speaker A:So last week, I made that decision that every pet owner dreads.
Speaker A:And even knowing that it was the right thing to do, it's got to be one of the hardest things I've ever done.
Speaker A:There's an old saying that grief is the price we pay for love.
Speaker A:And I suppose that's true.
Speaker A:But here's how I look at it.
Speaker A:If the price of having 16 years with that sweet girl, one of the sweetest things ever is having to hurt this much when she's gone, I'd pay it again.
Speaker A:And I'd do it every single time.
Speaker A:So do me a favor today, and if you've got a dog, give them an extra hug.
Speaker A:Take them for a walk.
Speaker A:Sorry.
Speaker A:Let them have a little more time with you.
Speaker A:Because someday those silly little moments are going to mean everything.
Speaker A:And, Lumen, I hope wherever you're at, your hips aren't hurting anymore.
Speaker A:And you got a big old backyard and a soft bed and all the treats you could ever want.
Speaker A:Maybe even a margarita.
Speaker A:You were the sweetest girl.
Speaker A:You were a great girl.
Speaker A:And I'm gonna miss.
