Memory

I've often heard humans say, in their infinite wisdom, that dogs don't remember things. Usually, it comes from dog trainers who rightfully tell people not to scold dogs for something they did two or three actions ago, but wrongly reason that it's because we can't remember past more that one action, that we can't generalize or do abstract thinking. Well, duh! If you tell me to stop doing something and I stop, why are you still yelling about the thing I was doing before I stopped? You do that to your kids? And you wonder why they're neurotic? It's not that we "forgot" what we did, but we're ready to move on. Besides, who's always looking for their keys, or glasses or half-finished cups of coffee? We dogs, on the other hand, know exactly where we buried our bones or where we left our favorite toys months ago.

But I'm not talking about such frivolous things here. Truth is, we remember a lot - all the important things, like kindness, good times. We remember bad times too, but we don't cling to them. Mostly we understand. I was never angry at Pops for remembering Kaleo. Sure, I'd stay away sometimes, when he's really lost in his thoughts. I respect his privacy and I never hold it against him. Because I understand. Someday, he will be remembering me too. I know I'll never forget him. Our bodies don't last, but our memories do. They are what keep us together forever. Some say that we are prisoners of our memories but I say, so what? Who needs freedom when love is what we really want?