An Ode to a Dog
As far as Higginses go, he wasn’t the most famous. He might’ve been the smelliest. But if he goes down in history for anything, it’ll be for his laziness. He was right at home in our lazy family.
He was always happy when I came home, even if I’d only been gone for three minutes. He was like a small, furry brother.
The vet thought that he had three months left, but he kept going strong for over a year before the cancer finally beat him.
You will be missed, Higgins. You were a damn good dog.
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If you have pictures of Higgins lying around, please let me know.
He will always be remembered as our family’s “Professor Higgins”. Some wise lessons I’ve learned from him:
Always greet someone with full enthusiasm and be sooooo glad to see them, even if they just returned from putting out the garbage.
When sitting on somebody’s lap, always lean back and rub your head against theirs: it will make both of you feel really good.
Always be ready to go for a new adventure, especially if it’s spelled “W-A-L-K”.
Life’s always more enjoyable when you’re in somebody else’s company, even if it means just lying lazily at their feet or being in the same room.
Be ready & willing to be scritched at a moment’s notice, and always give a gentle nudge for more.
*Never* refuse a bisky, carrot or piece of apple.
Always look cute and loving – it will make others feel happy to see you.
*Never* get angry with anyone, and always be excited to meet a new person.
And he may have been lazy, but he was always a very good listener. It’s in his company that I wrote my dissertation – he must have heard a zillion rough drafts read over and over, and he never left the room! Always lying under my work table, occasionally putting his head on my lap for a rub, or following me into which ever room I went next, diligent in his duty to eat any food scraps that might “accidentally” fall in his direction – especially carrots, apples and other veggies like cauliflower, broccoli and mushrooms. And reminding me every so often to take a break and pay attention to him.
Yup, there’s no doubt he was my favourite and wisest prof — and I’ve had some great ones. I feel honoured and a much better person to have been his student.
In his last few minutes he was so very calm and serene.
Lazy up to the last minute – total integrity and consistency.
Yup, he was much more than a good lazy dog. He was a very, very, *very* great one. As Jennifer so succinctly put it, “he was a gift”. Bye-bye Hig!
Good post bro <3
I’m so glad that the world is going to see me represented in my mermaid top.
Its gonna be lonely at home without Hig. I used to make fun of him for being so damn old, but its going to be weird not hearing his “roos” and having him lying around everywhere.
Forever remembered.
oh, p.s. i have photos.