As I was hanging up "Missing" posters today, I received a call from a woman who I am familiar with through her occasional donations to the humane society. She is certain the dog she found in her driveway yesterday was Oasis. He had been hit by a car.
Her house is about a mile and a half from mine on the other side of the bayou. I find it hard to believe he could have walked all that way on his arthritic legs, crossed 2 busy highways and a bridge over a bayou with no one picking him up. He can't move fast anymore. I feel certain someone must have picked him up then dropped him off again, but what the truth is doesn't really matter now.
Oasis,
I will miss your gentle nature. I will miss how you "mothered" all the stray kittens I brought home. I was amazed how all of them instantly loved you - this big dog that couldn't look less like a mother cat.
I will miss your smile and how you always knew when something was wrong; how you would come over and lay your head in my lap. I will miss your gentle nudges on my hand wanting to be pet, that kissable nose and the smell of your fur after you had been outside. I will miss how the kids used to come to our door and ask, "Can Oasis come out and play?"
I regret that I did not have one last chance to bury my face in your neck or fall asleep cuddled next to you. I am sorry we didn't keep a closer eye on you and that you felt you had to wander.
I will miss the big goofy dog who could make friends with the biggest dog or the smallest toad. I will always remember how you found joy in everything. I will take a lesson from you in how you trusted everyone and everything. You never stopped trying to be someone's friend. You forgave anyone for their fear or misunderstandi ng of you. You never bit back when bitten, you never uttered a growl in your life, and you were always available to offer comfort and love.
I will see you again at the bridge. I will carry your memory with me until then, my friend. I will love you forever.
