Well, we finally made it! I have anticipated this day for some time, and now it has arrived. Famous has turned twelve today! This is a milestone for an English springer spaniel. It means good health and fortune have allowed him to achieve the minimum life expectancy for his breed. It means our lives have been intertwined for a decade plus two and that our routine and our adventures have provided him a purpose and an opportunity to thrive.

It means we have played together. As a young dog full of energy, he scampered out of the house with every opportunity often running miles by my side. We played hard and slept hard, although my slightest stirring would awaken him instantly. He learned to swim in a pool, and his love of water enabled us to explore mountain streams, lakes, waterfalls, and seashores. At one year of age he learned to jump off of a pier into the bright water below and then swim to shore and run around to do it again. We played catch on the tennis courts and fetch in the backyard. Weekends in the summer often gave us the opportunities to hike in state and national parks. And winter snowfalls gave him a delightful new wonderland in which to sprint, jump, and play find the orange rubber ball.

It means we have worked together. I decided from the beginning I could either have a pet or a companion. I chose the latter to try to show I was invested in him at least half as much as he was invested in me. We set up our new life as “Rich and Famous”, and the name took on a life of its own. He went with me to the office for the first two years of his life and made work, carpools, and lunches much more enjoyable. He tagged along for several choir rehearsals, loving the extra attention and seldom disrupting the singing. (He’s a tenor, by the way.)

It means we have traveled together. Oh, so many trips full of memories! He has traveled throughout our state and beyond with nearly twenty states to his travel log. Our longest journey took us from North Carolina out west to Oklahoma and then due north to North Dakota during a very long record heat spell. The iconic image of him leaning out of the passenger window with long ears sailing behind his head brought great amusement to anyone catching a glimpse of him. He has played on farms and dined in luxury hotels. (He was especially well-mannered during the Peabody’s famous duck parade in the hotel’s lobby in Memphis.) He was along for a family trip to Charleston, South Carolina, where we had our own backyard to view the total solar eclipse. But like me, he was always happy to return to our home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

It means we have aged together. Yes, there was a time when we ran 5K races together. Even when we would start at the rear of the pack, he worked to pass every runner in front of us much to the chagrin of the other participants. (I guess he figured the lead dog had the best view!) But we have both slowed down so that now our outings look more like stately promenades. Famous lost most of his hearing more than a year ago, and it was quite sad and profound the first time I came home at the end of the day to discover he was not waiting for me on the other side of the door due to his hearing loss.

It means we are very comfortable with one another. Change happens, but fortunately, for the most part, it comes gradually. We make adjustments. Famous needs assistance getting on the bed and getting in and out of the car. He was starting to miss one or two of the front porch steps, so now he has gotten accustomed to a new ramp. And even though he sleeps a big part of the day, he suddenly transforms again into a young dog whenever I have been away and come through the door.

So as we journey through our remaining years together I ask for your prayers that life and death will be kind. I pray that we are able to make the necessary adjustments and decisions that will support him as he ages. I pray the lessons he is still able to teach me are sweet and guiding. Most of all, I pray that the great gifts of joy and love he has brought me will find new energy as he inspires us all to celebrate life!

Rich and Famous on the occasion of his twelfth birthday, April 18, 2020.