*Pets
Cats
watercolor by Nancy Condit
Pets
Day 21 — March 1
I have never wanted a cat, as cute as they are in this watercolor by Nancy Condit, a favorite artist Elizabeth and I got to know at the Sand Dollar gallery in Denver. She was tragically killed by a speeding motorist while bicycling on July 1, 2018, but her art continues to bring joy through greetings cards that are the very best.
I also never wanted a dog, so as a family we had other pets—a hamster, a tortoise, and a rabbit. But I’ll admit, they aren’t very relational.
And Elizabeth really wanted a dog. So after saying, “I don’t want a dog” to her for 23 years, I came to a couple conclusions: it’s not all about me and maybe I don’t know what I don’t know about dogs.
Within two minutes of when I said, “Maybe we can get a dog,” Annika—home from college for the summer—was researching dogs online. A couple days later we were welcoming a cute, white rescue dog named Toby into our world. That we got a dog on Father’s Day brought Elizabeth particular satisfaction!
For Elizabeth it was love at first sight. For me, it took some time to warm up to a dog. But it’s easy to fall in love with a cute, white dog, even if he was fiercely and embarrassingly territorial when confronting other dogs out on a walk. It was gut-wrenching when three years later his medical issues meant we had to make the decision to say goodbye.
But after a couple months, guess who was obsessed with finding a new dog to bring Elizabeth (and me) joy? Eight-year-old Orfeo—another cute, white Dog 2.0 with an uncanny resemblance to Dog 1.0— needed a new home. As he joined the family, we discovered that he is truly the best dog ever. He doesn’t bark. He doesn’t jump up. He doesn’t wake me up in the morning. He doesn’t shed. During the pandemic year, he has continued to be my best buddy.
Indeed, Toby and Orfeo brought Elizabeth particular happiness. What if I had been unwilling to loosen up when it came to a dog? I believe those two dogs contributed in a major way to Elizabeth’s well-being because she was so committed to their well-being—taking a long dog walk most every day she was able.
A year ago, on February 29, 2020, one of the doctors granted me special permission to bring Orfeo into the hospital to visit Elizabeth. And to say goodbye.
Day 21: the art of love and loss
view all posts at kentmueller.com
February 10, 2020, was the day my wife, Elizabeth Izant, entered the hospital. She and I were on a hopeful journey following her heart transplant five months prior. On March 1, she entered hospice and died March 11. This series is not about her medical journey. This is about sharing stories and reflections about our life together. In our 29 years of marriage, we collected a piece of art or two each year, often in celebration of our marriage anniversary. Each day from February 10 to March 11, I will be sharing an image of that art. And a story.