When my grandmother passed away, my grandfather was left alone in his home. Each time I visited, he was always by himself and resisted the idea of anyone moving in with him. So, I decided to give him a small dog I had rescued from the street.
He named the dog ‘Chirulin’, and they quickly became inseparable. They spend their days together sunbathing, eating, walking, and watching TV. Recently, my grandfather fell ill, and during his hospital stay, he wrote me a letter detailing how to care for ‘Chirulin’ if he didn’t make it. He even included the recipe for the soup he prepares for ‘Chirulin’. I found myself wishing he had also written a recipe for coping with life without him.
He entrusted ‘Chirulin’ to the entire family. Yesterday, when he was discharged, we brought ‘Chirulin’ to him. He embraced the dog and said, “We need to hurry and do all the things we’ve planned; there’s not much time,” then laughed heartily. My grandfather had made a list of activities he wanted to share with ‘Chirulin’, his loyal companion. The love between them is evident in the way ‘Chirulin’ looks at him.
To those who dismiss it as just a dog, I say: “Animals are a gift for the soul, a training ground for tolerance, respect, and love. True love, the kind that unites rather than divides. Loving teaches us to love.”
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