As the mournful voice of Michael Stipe escaped from the speakers in my car, another piece of my heart broke. While REM was playing as I drove down the road, the lyrics spoke to me just a day after having to let man’s best friend go. My fourteen-year-old golden retriever, Hunter, finally had enough of the seizures and the maladies for which he took four medications daily. It was time to let him go but the reality of the situation overwhelmed me.

If you’re a fan of live music, you’re probably an animal lover, too. While this article does not follow in with the live music theme, I will beg your indulgence for a minute. Hunter was a big, soft, shedder of a dog who loved being among a crowd of people when the party was going on. He loved people and pizza crusts with equal vigor.

While waiting for him to join our home in January of 2006, the conversation centered on what we would call him. Names were proposed and rejected for one reason or another. I suggested Hunter, after the fabled Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, and the name was accepted by all. This little golden furball grew up to be a favorite of all who met him. He spent fourteen years and seven months making our lives better by his presence. Everyone who came in contact with him would leave with some souvenir fur. I’ve had yellow labs and mixed breeds before, but he was my first pedigree pup, complete with the papers to prove his bloodline. I regret that I didn’t keep the bloodline going, preserving the legacy of this quiet, loveable companion.

While we may have a favorite band or two who receive our devotion, we love all of our pets as we do our children, equally. Each day with a pet is a day to be cherished for their lives are much shorter than ours. The bond between man and his furry companions is one that doesn’t break. Just like when you discover a new music love and become a devoted fan, the experience such is the same with a companion such as Hunter. He was the biggest fan of the four members of our family. When our son or daughter took him to spend time with them in college, he was happy just to be with them. Whether he wound up taking selfies with sorority girls or drunken hockey players, he was just happy to not be alone. Pets like him want to share their gift with everyone they come in contact with. May he rest in peace.

This blog is being published on the fourth anniversary of the introduction of my blog, Do You Believe in Magic. Four years and 50+ posts have been more than I could have imagined. With so little live music happenings to write about, I was compelled to write this in the memory of my constant companion of these last fourteen years. I appreciate that you read this post and allowed me to try in some small way to ease my aching soul. Your support of this blog, reading what I can’t keep to myself, is cherished more than you may know. Peace and Thanks.

#Hunter #mansbestfriend #everybodyhurtssometime #REM #MichaelStipe #DoYouBelieveInMagic