You are lucky if you have received love of a pet
I met Joey when he was two years old. My brother's pet, the Labrador has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Within no time, he had become the member of our family. He keeps the home lively and all you can hear in house is the shout-out 'Joey, Joey, Joey, don't bite the sofa... Get your ball, Joey... Stop pulling my clothes, you naughty lad...' Having him around is the best gift I could ever ask for.
Well, if you ask me what he means to me, it would be really difficult to answer in a few words. He means the world to me. He's the only member of the family I feel the most safe with. I feel free when I am with him - I feel free from the fear of being abused, I feel free from the fear of being taken advantage of or being cheated, I feel free from all kinds of judgements that people pass on, I feel free to feel the way I want to without the fear of looking ugly or beautiful etc.
I believe I recovered faster after I had an accident two years ago because of him. Just his presence made me feel normal. There were people who would stare at me with curiosity, there were people who would look away saying 'yuck' the moment they would see my face full of bruises, there were people who would just befriend me and my family just to know what happened to my face and of course, there were people who would sympathise with me thinking I would land a good looking boy to marry because of the bruises all over my face. Even my mother reacted the same way, she would try harder convincing our relatives that my bruises would disappear, even though she didn't have much hope herself. It was only Joey who didn't bother with what's on my face. The moment I reached home after being discharged from the hospital, he just wanted to jump, lick and play with me like any other day. He was happy to see me, not worried or did not sympathise with me. He made me feel normal.
I wish I could have played with him that day but unfortunately, I had to disappoint him as I had been asked by the doctor to stay away from wetting my face. I couldn't have taken a risk of developing any infection due to his wet kisses, which I otherwise enjoy. The unconditional, childlike innocence destresses me.
The playtime with him in the evening makes me relive the childhood days that I couldn't live. Running around, playing the fetch and dancing with him are the best memories of my adulthood. I feel I could be innocent girl in front of him. I don't have to fear of my innocence being robbed due to any sexual abuse.
Just a hug from him makes me forget all my worries and anxieties. The way he hides behind me when my brother scolds him melts my heart away. The way he digs his head into my bag when I am leaving home makes me want to quit my job and stay with him forever. The way he hurries to be greeted by me when I return home makes me feel like coming back home again and again.
When he left the city with my brother, I felt my world has come to an end. I could not stop tears flowing from my eyes. I just prayed and prayed he had a safe 13 hour flight to Germany. It's been five months since he's gone and it feels like five decades. I miss him so much. My gallery is filled with his pictures and videos. When I open them, I miss him even more and wish if he were next to me. Honestly, I have also thought of deleting them so that I don't miss him much but I didn't have the guts to do it. I am not sure if he misses me but I surely do, so much so that I am fear how I would react when I'll finally get to meet him. But I hope it would be soon and I wouldn't mind facing that fear.