People are certainly not the only beings in this world that can teach us things. Animals can be just as inspiring.
An influential part of my grieving process when I lost Steve was taking time to reflect and honor the ways in which I grew during our relationship. I thought I’d do the same thing for Kelvin in this post. If you’ve read my Gifts from Steve posts, you’ll notice there is some overlap here. That’s because in many ways, Kelvin was the canine incarnation of Steve. I wrote this recently in an email to my family, as we paid tribute to Kelvin’s life:
I always felt like I had a little piece of Kirk with me when he was around. In many ways, I think Kelvin embodied the purest version of Kirk: he was funny, intelligent, affectionate, adventurous, unconditionally loving, loved to walk in the forest, and had an occasional unpredictable wild streak.
Without further ado, here are my three Gifts from Kelvin:
- Savor Little Things: This is a gift that both Steve and Kelvin shared. I will never forget the satisfied grunt/sigh Kelvin would make when plopping down in the sand/dirt after meticulously digging a bed for several minutes. If it could be translated into English, it’s like he was saying, “Ahhh… All is right with the world.” Whether it was basking in the sunshine or snuggling with a favorite stuffed animal, Kelvin definitely appreciated and savored the little things in life.
- Adventurous Spirit: Steve and Kelvin were similarly adventurous. We learned the hard way that Kelvin got especially mischievous in the evenings, and we could not let him outside unleashed after sunset. He would sneak off the moment you turned your head, and we wouldn’t see him again for a couple hours. He’d eventually return covered in mud with a giant grin on his face, as he’d been traipsing around in the marsh, probably looking for an alligator to wrestle. Kelvin also loved hiking in the forest, and I loved exploring new trails with him around our home in Florida. He really motivated me to get out into nature and experience the richness of the woods. I have so many fond memories to cherish of our times in the trees together.
- Gracious Resilience: As you might gather from the photos of Kelvin, he had a wild ride before we adopted him. He was severely malnourished when animal control found him, a mere 29 pounds, literally skin and bone. He had climbed a fence to escape his abusive owner and had a serious injury as a result. He was at the shelter for months and they were unsure if he’d ever be adopted given his gnarly appearance. Thank goodness Stephen saw what an amazing dog he was! Kelvin is a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover. Despite surviving horrible abuse and neglect, Kelvin was incredibly good-natured. He wanted to be friends with everyone. He did not let his trauma make him aggressive and mean; he rose above it and showered everyone (even his guinea pig cousin) with kisses and love. Kelvin was truly an inspiration to me over the last year. There were days when I didn’t feel like being warm and kind because I felt like the world was beating me down, but then I’d look at my pup and say “If he can do it, I can do it.”
A dog is a woman’s best friend
Before developing a fondness for my cat Ferb, Stephen was always more partial to dogs. As the months and years went on, Stephen would genuinely say to me, “Ferb made me a cat person.” I went through a similar transformation with Kelvin. I’d never owned a dog before, but now I can say “Kelvin made me a dog person.” Kelvin really did become my best friend over the last year. I don’t know what I would have done without him. There were days when he was the only reason I got out of bed.
I’m going to take a few months to savor my time with Ferb before rushing off to get another dog. But I am confident that I will own another dog before too long. I hope the next lucky pup who joins my home will have the same kind eyes, the same enthusiasm for giving kisses, and the same hilarious, adventurous, loving presence.
Kelvin, please give Stephen a giant kiss and a good long snuggle for me. I look forward to the three of us hiking in the heavenly forests together someday. (But if you could please stop eating the wildlife poop, that would be cool.)