I’m blessed to have been on both sides of the coin when it comes to having a dog in my life. Losing Shani has profoundly affected me more than I could ever imagine, and I understand if you have never had a canine as a companion you will never be able to grasp the idea of this beautiful friendship.
Shani, my German Shepherd has loved me unconditionally with constant positive feedback, she was the one who had taught me how to kick a soccer ball – oh, that’s okay you can try again, I love you and it doesn’t matter if you fail, we can try again if not today, then later. I can wait.
Into my fifties and I’ve finally learned how to kick a ball thanks to the unconditional love from my dog. I know you don’t understand, I know you don’t understand why I believe dogs are better than people, I know you don’t understand why I’m so defensive when you compare people to dogs in a derogatory way and that’s okay, I have faith that one day you will grasp the true nature of a dog.
A violent dog is always the nature of the human who has been such an example, a dog a perpetual two-year-old child who always wants to be with you, to love you.
I know you don’t understand, and that is okay, because within you is my faith and hope.
In loving memory of my best friend, Shani.
Trâm
May 30th, 2021
Tôi là một người may mắn vì đã hiểu và cảm nhận được cả hai khía cạnh, một là chưa từng và hai là người đã từng nuôi chó. Mất Shani đã ảnh hưởng tôi một cách sâu sắc vượt luôn cả sự tưởng tượng của tôi, nhưng tôi sẽ hiểu là khi bạn chưa từng có một chú chó bên cạnh, bạn sẽ không bao giờ hiểu được ý tưởng tình bạn đẹp này của tôi.
Shani, loại chú chó chăn cừu của Đức, luôn luôn yêu tôi vô điều kiện cùng luôn luôn phản hồi liên tục một cách tích cực, nàng là nhân vật đã dạy tôi cách đá bóng – ồ, tốt đó, thử lại nào, bạn thất bại không phải là một vấn đề, tôi vẫn yêu bạn, chúng ta có thể thử lại một lần nữa, hôm nay hay ngày mai cũng được. Tôi sẽ đợi bạn.
Ở tuổi 50, cuối cùng tôi đã học được cách đá bóng nhờ tình thương vô điều kiện của Shani. Tôi biết bạn không hiểu, tôi biết bạn không hiểu tại sao tôi nghĩ chó tốt hơn người, tôi biết bạn không hiểu tại sao tôi không thích khi bạn so sánh con người với chó một cách không hay, nhưng không sao, tôi tin rằng một ngày nào đó bạn sẽ nắm được bản chất thực sự của một con chó.
Một con chó hung dữ luôn luôn là vì ảnh hưởng bản chất của những người đã nuôi chúng, giết chúng, làm thịt chúng. Một chú chó vĩnh viễn là một đứa trẻ hai tuổi, nó luôn luôn muốn ở bên cạnh bạn, để yêu thương bạn.
Tôi biết bạn không hiểu, nhưng cũng không sao, ở bạn tôi luôn lưu lại những hy vọng và niềm tin.
Viết đây để thương nhớ đến Shani, bạn thân nhất của tôi.
Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm, the blogger, poet, and translator, was born in 1971 in Phu Nhuan, Saigon, Vietnam. The pharmacist currently lives and works in Western Sydney, Australia.
Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm 
Reblogged this on Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News.
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💗
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❤ ❤ ❤
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Dogs are unconditionally loyal and loving ❤️
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Yes, my parents mentioned her yesterday and they do not like pets. During the pandemic, Shani would insist on stopping at my parents’ place to make sure they were alright before we continued on our walks. They said Shani was better than their kids. 🙂
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Pets are like family and hold a special place in our hearts.
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Yes ❤
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Shani, you are like my two dogs who are so loving and adorable. They are so supportive to me. I feel you, Tram. Sending love.
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🥰
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I’ve lost count of the number of dogs I’ve raised ever since. Every time a dog passes away, my heart breaks.
I didn’t have dogs until I turned 16. But before that, I could already sympathize with dog owners when their dog’s gone.
Our dog’s life is so short that usually we have to witness their death but not the other way around. I feel peaceful to see my dogs pass away before me, if I die while they are still alive, they will live in pain and die of sadness.
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I have never thought of it like that.. You are a kinder soul than I am bless your soul.. I can bring myself to adopting another dog or cat.
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Thank you for your response ❤️. Actually those thoughts pretty much come from my mechanism of thinking positively to comfort myself.
There’s Vietnamese quote somewhere I can’t remember which says, “having a pet is like growing a seed of sadness” as we know those fur babies are more likely to pass away before us. Although it’s true, this quote can discourage people from adopting pets that need a home. Rest assured their souls will come back to us in another form of life.
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I like that, you see the other side of the coin. The side I did not see. My husband keep telling to adopt another cat or dog, I didn’t think I could ever adopt another having to go through that mourning period. It is only now that I can go for walks and see the places she used to like to stop and poop and I had to bad it before we leave. I first hated it, then I loved how in those moments I was forced to look around, take in my surroundings. Before I knew it, I found myself enjoy picking up her poop all around the neighbourhood. :))
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