This is Fruitycake. I’ve been sick before. In fact, I’ve been sick a lot. It’s taken me a long time to get this far where my fur is growing back.
I still get itchy I still have a long way to go to heal from my stray dog life. But that’s ok. I know I’ll keep getting better.
But right now, I’m not worried about me. I’ve lost my appetite. I feel like Brickle feels.
Because we are that close of friends.
I’m not feeling sorry for Brickle. It’s not sympathy pains. I don’t feel sorry for him. He’s too strong for that. I have empathy pains.
I feel his pain. I feel sick too.
Sympathy is acknowledging someone else’s pain, but empathy is choosing to feel the pain with them. Sympathy says, “I care about you,” and empathy says, “I’m hurting with you.”
Have you ever loved someone that much? A friend or a family member or the love of your life? I have always felt love. I’m a lovable kind of guy. Just like vitamins, you can’t get enough Fruity.
But feeling love in a friendship like ours is overwhelming. Because we both need each other. Age nor time has been a factor in our friendship. Our friendship was just easy. Meant to be.
Empathy is not something I say is easy. Feeling things deeply is not easy. It’s easier to ignore how much someone means to us. Brickle means everything to me. He’s taught me things. Some things I have listened to him about. Some things. No.
But he’s taught me how to be a dog. How to be in a family. How to continue Digby’s example of happiness and joy.
I hope that I have taught Brickle too. How fun it is to let yourself not be so serious. How to cuddle.
How to laugh.
Brickle has not felt well for a few days. He doesn’t want to eat very much. He can’t sleep. He’s very uncomfortable.
So I’ve felt all of those things too. But one thing he doesn’t feel is guilt. He knows it’s hard on the persons to be up all night. And he knows however that they would do that forever. He knows that they love him no matter what. And the “no matter” what friendships and love don’t cause guilt. They cause empathy.
Today we have to move houses. So we are going to try and take a little walk and have a slow day of being together. We are sad to leave this house. But it’s time to move on.
There are way more good and fun moments in our lives than sad ones. There is more joy than pain. And for me there is more empathy than sympathy.
–Fruitycake The Raccoon
We live with a, I hate to call her a dog, but she is and she is the apple of our eye. She came to us as a rescue, old parasite ridden skeleton. She spent most of her days in her bed because she didn’t have the strength nor did she feel good.
It took a year once we cleared her of whipworms and hookworms to get enough weight on her to treat her for heart worms. After that she made progress, but her arthritis still left her too painful to be her true self.
I heard about this monthly injection called Librela, made by Zoetis and asked her vet if it would help. “It won’t hurt,” was the answer. It has been a game changer for Ethel. She has had 2 injections and is much more active. I should add she is now bossy and demanding too. Yesterday afternoon she decided to take herself for an another walk. My husband said, no more shots for Ethel! She’s too quick now.
Just a suggestion, maybe the Librela would help Brinkle?
Brickle knows. But as my vet has told me, your dog loves you so much and wants to make you happy at all cost. He’ll keep doing what he thinks you want, or need, from him until he can’t get up anymore. Brickle, you are loved so very much by your family and friends. It’s time to think of yourself sweet boy. Every thing’s gonna be alright. ♥️🐾♥️🐾♥️
I am so sorry Brickle is not doing well and that you are feeling his pain too Fruity. I am sending love, hugs and prayers to you all. I feel so bad for you that you just have to keep moving around all the time. It has to be hard on all of you. I wish you could have just stayed with grandma and grandpa till you were able to be on your way to Italy. You all seemed to be so happy there. So sad. Brickle just needs to be able to rest. 💔🐾😥🙏
So much love here. Thank you 💜