Ghostface, Champion and Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude

When I learned that Ghostface, my beloved nine year old Yorkie, had terminal Lymphoma, and consequently somewhere between six months to a year to live, I vowed to live each day as if it were the last, to really savor every moment, no matter how minor. 

I wanted to develop an attitude of gratitude, to celebrate life instead of cursing death. I like to think that I succeeded. So while it was absolutely heartbreaking holding my beloved dog in my arms as he took his last breath, I took comfort in knowing that I did everything I could to give Ghostface a good life. 

The massive hole in my heart and soul left by Ghostace’s absence could only be filled with another dog. So you can only imagine how devastated I was when, only a month into my relationship with our wonderful new dog Champion Simon, I lost him when he unexpectedly leaped out of my arms and ran away one rainy, miserable Georgia night. 

It’s no exaggeration to say that a good forty percent of my happiness and quality of life comes from getting to spend all of my time with a wonderful new dog I am utterly obsessed with even by American standards. 

So the prospect of losing all of that happiness in a horrible heartbeat was devastating. I didn’t sleep at all that night. I was too consumed with guilt and shame and dread. I had made a stupid mistake and now I would suffer the horrible, horrible consequences forever. I was already depressed and anxious and dreading the future. Now I had a whole lot more to feel despondent about. 

Thankfully, Champion Simon was only lost for about twelve hours. I put up a notice on Next Door that somehow was read over a hundred thousand times, probably because people like looking at pictures of adorable little dogs, but more importantly led to the return of Champion Simon. 

I cannot put into words how happy Champion Simon’s return made me. Losing Champion Simon legitimately felt like a near death experience. I lost Champion next to a busy street so my wife legitimately thought he freaked out, was hit by a car and died. 

If Champion Simon didn’t die, but was lost forever and we had no idea where he was or if he was even alive, it would still feel like death. 

Thankfully Champion Simon DIDN’T die, and he wasn’t gone forever. We got our boy back. I have not stopped being grateful and appreciative. 

Every day I wake up happy that I get to spend the day with Champion Simon. We’re still at the honeymoon stage where we still spend a lot of time just gazing lovingly at his furry little face, adorable ears and perfect little monkey paws.

Simon Champion just plain makes me happy. I just love him. In a world where seemingly everything is complicated, dark and ambivalent my love for Champion Simon is pure and uncomplicated. 

I haven’t stopped radiating appreciation and gratitude since that wonderful moment when I answered my cell phone and the stranger on the other end of the line asked me if I’d lost a little dog in a blue vest. 

The wonderful, life-affirming high of being reunited with a wonderful little dog I honestly thought I would never see again has never worn off. I still feel it every day. 

That’s a wonderful feeling, but not anywhere near as wonderful as knowing that I get to spend long, happy years with Simon Champion. That’s something that I will never take for granted, because I know all too well that the situation could easily have turned out much differently. 

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