I chose to love him to the very end, despite the fact that I couldn’t save him.
For nineteen years, I had the privilege of living with Luca. My name is Andrea. He wasn’t just a dog. In my darkest moments, he was my refuge, my compass, and a silent light.
He knew me better than anyone, even when I lost my identity. As the years passed, his body slowly died. Arthritis was stealing his strength. He struggled to stand up, and his legs failed him. His eyes faded, but his soul remained pure. And it was constantly searching for me.
And I never left him.
The only place where he seemed to relax was in the sea. We went to the lake together, and I held him in my arms every day. I held him up with his back on my chest. He floated with his eyes closed. and stopped shaking for a moment. As if the river wiped away the years, the sorrow, and the burden of time.
I couldn’t make him better. There was nothing I could do about it.
However, I could support him. My darling. My attention. Until the very end.
And I did. I stayed with him. in silence. Just the two of us.
Because true love is determined by the choice to accompany, in spite of all the suffering.
The hardest days were the last ones. He slept a lot and ate very little. But whenever he saw the towel, his eyes still glistened. He knew we were heading back to the lake. There was just one more moment of peace, and he knew it.
And that was accurate. Until he let out a breath.
I held him close as usual. The cold, the tiredness, the tears—none of it mattered now.
He fell asleep there, in the sea he loved so much. But this time he didn’t wake up.
This is the final photo we took together. I’m depressed, therefore I don’t share it. I love it so much that I give it away.
Because even if they don’t hurt, some farewells tear you apart.
And some relationships endure forever, even when the body leaves.
I could not save him. But I made the decision to go. Right up until the end.
You are aware that you have loved a dear, old, and weak friend.
Maybe a memory that has always been a part of you was rediscovered as you read these sentences.
