For the last 10+ years, when I would leave my house and leave Simi and Missy behind, I would always give them a treat and tell them that I’ll be back soon. I would also always say, “Take care of your sister!” This was the ritual.
With Simi’s passing, my ritual has changed. It hurts my heart each time I leave the house and give Missy a treat. Instead of telling her to take care of her sister, I tell her to take care of herself. I can’t tell if either of my pups ever understood me in the past, and I still can’t tell if Missy understands me now; she simply stares at me with her sad puppy-dog eyes. Instead of four eyes staring at me, I now only have two. I miss Simi’s eyes…
I ran outdoors today for 50 minutes today. It was an easy run with temperatures in the mid-80s. It’s still hot in Arizona but has cooled down just enough to start running outdoors on a regular basis. As the temperature cools down, running will be much more enjoyable. I look forward to the winter.