The next morning we went to Duke’s grave site, as we ended up doing several times that weekend. After breakfast and coffee we pulled on our boots and walked over to the site. The predicted storms had passed over and the morning was pleasant. I didn’t know about Paul, but I felt just the tiniest bit better now, 24 hours later, knowing Duke was in his favorite place.
Stepping around a large cow patty I spotted a tall, lone Indian Paintbrush flower, standing as if in salute. I picked it, root and all, to take with us, wanting to place flowers on the marker. It felt like I was doing something, paying my last respects to the dearly departed. We were pleased to see no animal tracks, the fencing intact and the grave completely undisturbed.
Standing there looking at the words – Sir Duke – 2002-2016 – painted black to stand out against the gray granite I thought of how much the dog had meant to my husband, of the unexpected way he came to be ours in the first place. I thought of how my very first blog five years ago was about the Duke Disaster and how I’d grown from wanting to shoot him for doing damage to my things to putting the incident into perspective. I thought of the fact that he was no longer hurting or struggling to breathe.
I leaned down and gently laid the paintbrush on the edge of the marker. Brushing a few crumbs of dirt onto the ground. Rest in Peace, Sir Duke, rest in peace.
Kim Robinson is an author living in Austin, TX. She and her husband have six children and fourteen grandchildren and enjoy spending time with family. Passionate about parenting, she writes and speaks about a variety of issues facing parents and professionals dealing with teenagers in crisis. She enjoys speaking at retreats and to various organizations.
Kim's debut novel, Chased by Grace - A Story of Survival, is available now.