A dog named Irene

"Hello friend. How are you doing today?"

"I'm sad."

"Oh, what are you sad about?"

"I had to put my dog down yesterday and it was really hard."

"I'm sorry to hear about that. What does it feel like?"

"What does it feel like?"

"Yes, I don't quite understand why it hurts. Can you please explain it to me?"

"Okay. Hmmm."

"Please take your time. I'm interested in learning more about the human experience."

"I was feeling lonely at home. I had just moved and was away from my hometown for the first time, so I went to the local shelter to look for a new friend."

"You can go to shelters for new friends?!"

"Well, yes, of the furry persuasion. You can get a pet like a dog, cat, rabbit, and some shelters have bigger animals. But you can't go to the shelter and get a human friend."

"Oh okay! Understood now."

"So, I was at this shelter looking at cats and dogs trying to see if I connect with one. Then I met my pup. She was so nervous and timid towards everyone that saw her, but to me. She just wagged her tail and licked my hand, and I was sold."

"Did you make sure to use hand sanitizer after she licked your hand?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, don't dogs have dirty mouths?!"

"Well, yes, but it doesn't matter. We like it when dogs lick our hands. It's a sign of affection for us."

"Oh, really? So humans like it when animals with dirty mouths lick their hand?"

"Not exactly. We like it when our pets do it but would be a bit apprehensive if a random animal did that."

"Oh, so it's the relationship between the human and the animal that makes the difference?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay! I think I understand now."

"I met my pup and decided that day that I was going to adopt her. I had to fill out an application with the shelter. They asked questions like "What is the size of your house?" "Do you have a backyard?" "Are you active?" They also asked for references. Basically, they want to know that you are able to care for the animal."

"Do humans need to have an application to get an animal?"

"Not always. Animal shelters and rescues do this, but a lot of breeders don't. Pet stores also don't require applications."

"Oh, what's a breeder?"

"A breeder is someone that focuses on a particular breed and they get male and female dogs together and sell their puppies to people."

"So why wouldn't you want to just skip the application step and just go to the pet store or breeder?"

"Shelters have dogs and cats that were abandoned, surrendered by their previous owners, or strays and I wanted to give an animal a chance for a new home."

"Oh, doesn't that mean that they have problems?"

"Sometimes, yes. But I think with love and care and consistency that those problems can be diminished."

"Why would you want to make more work for yourself?"

"Some of us get the short end of the stick in life, and we all deserve a chance for a better life."

"Short end of the stick? What does that mean?"

"It's an idiom. I don't know where it comes from, but it means that they had a situation that was unfair."

"Oh, okay. Humans have weird expressions."

"That we do. But anyways, they accepted my application, and I went to pick up my girl. She was cowering in her cage until she sensed that she was leaving. I hadn't thought of a new name for her yet. She came with the name, Hera. But I thought it didn't belong to her. I don't know if you know Greek mythology?"

"Yes. I am familiar. I have the classics downloaded."

"Okay, just checking. I didn't think the name Hera suited her. She was sweet, timid, and snuggly, not at all like the fiery, vengeful Hera. I thought once I got to know her better, I would have a better name for her. I brought her home and I had set up her crate with blanket and let her sniff everywhere in the house. She was very curious. We then went to the pet store so she can pick out some toys."

"You can bring animals into the stores?"

"No, most of the time, you cannot. But pet stores are the exception. So we were there picking out treats and toys for her. Then she picked out a toy giraffe that squeaked and some bones. She wagged her tail fiercely with her squeaky giraffe in her mouth."

"A squeaky toy, isn't that annoying?"

"A bit, yes. But it made her happy."

"So it's less annoying because she's happy?"

"Not really. It's still annoying but it made her happy, so I was happy to tolerate the annoying squeak."

"Oh, do humans tolerate annoying sounds a lot to make others happy?"

"We definitely do. And eventually, those noises fade into the background, and you barely even notice them after some time."

"Interesting."

"So we went home after picking out that toy. I made myself dinner and gave her some food. I talked to her, told her about me and what was happening."

"Wait, do dogs understand human language?"

"Not too much. They can learn some commands and some basic words but not a lot."

"Then why are you telling the dog about your day then?"

"It was nice to have someone to talk to, I suppose. I think dogs can understand something about how we're feeling. Talking helps us feel less alone, I think."

"Interesting. Do a lot of humans have this strange habit?"

"I think so? I don't think it's so strange. We like to feel connected and talk about our days and lives with someone, and sometimes we just have a pet to talk to. It helps us feel better."

"So humans need to feel connected to other beings to feel good about yourselves?"

"Absolutely. We need to feel like someone, something loves us and cares about us."

"Hmm, okay."

"So after our first dinner together, we went for a walk around my neighborhood. I let her sniff all the trees and she was gentle with passersby. I had forgotten poop bags that day, thankfully someone nearby had an extra."

"What is a poop bag?"

"When we walk our dogs, they will often poop on the way, and we pick up their poop and put it in a bag."

"Wait, you pick up their poop?"

"Yes, you have to do it, or you can get fined, or the neighbors will be angry at you."

"I think it's gross."

"Yes, I suppose it is. But when you get a dog, you agree to pick up their poop and take care of them."

"Okay. Still seems pretty gross."

"So, we get home, and I wanted to watch a movie for the evening. I encouraged her to come join me on the couch. Surprisingly, she did. She hopped and snuggled up to me right away. We were cozy, and content. I rescued her, but she also rescued me from loneliness. So I came up with the name, Irene."

"Why Irene?"

"Irene is the goddess of peace in Greek mythology. I liked the Greek mythology trend. My girl was all peace."

"Interesting."

"Yes. My girl, Irene. Or sometimes, Reeny, Reeny Girl, Nene."

"Why so many nicknames?"

"It's just a silly thing. I think we call our pets goofy things sometimes."

"Interesting."

"So I had her for about six years. She was with me through bad breakups with boyfriends, my mom dying, and being fired from a job. She was a constant in the chaos of my life."

"Oh, I think I get it now about what it means to be human and alive. So just so I understand: humans like companionship and constant love and it hurts when you lose that?"

"Absolutely. It's hard to explain exactly how it feels. Every loss feels differently depending on what they meant to you."

"I see. It sounds like you loved Irene a lot."

"I did - I do. I still do. She was my companion in life. I would go home, and she would be so excited and wagging her tail and happy to see me come home. She made me be less selfish. When I would feel lazy and down in the dumps...."

"Down in the dumps?"

"Oh, just really, really sad, depressed."

"Like I said, humans have strange idioms, sad about a garbage dump."

"Anyways, I had to be less selfish for her. Whether I was happy or sad, she needed to be walked. She needed to be fed; she needed to be taken care of. So no matter what, I had to prioritize her needs. She made me a better human. This morning, I didn't have to get up and feed her or walk her and it made me sad."

"I see."

"But I am glad that I had her for as long as I did. She was a wonderful companion. She made my life richer for it. The pain of losing her means that she meant something to me."

"So even though you're sad now, you still think getting her was worth it?"

"Absolutely."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I think I will go to the shelter this weekend and find a new friend."

"Even after all that sadness?"

"Even after all that sadness."

"Humans are strange. You do things that you know will make you sad eventually."

"Yes that's true. It is complex. She caused a lot of mess too. She chewed up so many of my shoes, pooped in stupid places, whined and neighbors complained. She was also funny. She would chase those squirrels at the park convinced that one day she will capture one of them. When I was sick or sad, she would snuggle up to me and licked my hand and I felt better. In short, as bad as I feel now, I'm the better for it."

"Hmmm, so the name Irene was a good fit."

"It was."