The Friend: A Novel by Sigrid Nunez is a moving story of love, friendship, grief, healing, and the magical bond between a woman and her dog. When a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend and mentor, she finds herself burdened with the unwanted dog he has left behind. I understand the positives and negatives of having a dog help with grief, but I cannot have one where I live.
Jan Loved Therapy Dogs
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 3 seconds
Often I would joke with Jan that if I died first, she would replace me with a dog.
We both loved Oscar until he became confused and thought the middle of the night was playtime.
During Chemotherapy, she looked forward to visits from the therapy dogs.
I never will know if Jan would have replaced me with a dog if I had died first.
I do know that I have not even the slightest interest in re-partnering.
Of course, I also know that you cannot rule out anything as the world changes faster than the glaciers melt.
Re-partnering is not of interest to me, not because I am not lonely or sad. I miss Jan, but she is still with me, and neither a therapy dog nor another life partner can replace her.
Jan’s love transformed me and will never die.
The Jan Lilien Education Fund sponsors ongoing sustainability and environmental awareness programs. Gifts made this month; I will match dollar-for-dollar. All donations are tax-deductible.
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Am I Alone if Jan is Still With Me?
In the photograph from Celebrate Jan Day, it appears that I am sitting by myself.
As much as the camera only captures what it can see, that is a correct observation.
However, it does not capture the reality that Jan is still with me and always will be with me.
The Friend
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 3 seconds
