Miss You Erin!

I've always wondered how animals are affected by things like people or other animals moving away or dying. Do they know? Can they tell before it happens? Do they get sad? I wondered how Tiffany felt when we put Comete to sleep. Did she know we had just put her best friend in the ground forever? Is she lonely now? I know it's our tendency to try to personify animals, but they have emotions too, right?

My roommate Erin and her dog Riley just moved out of the house for the summer (they'll be back in 3 months). Damascus and Riley were best friends, and Damascus was pretty attached to Erin, too. While Arlo and I were at work in the morning to early afternoon, Damascus would stay with Erin and Riley until we got home. She often took them on long hikes and even to the coast or up in the mountains. Arlo and I were incredibly lucky to have such a great friend that would help us out with him.

And now I'm wondering how Damascus feels. Does he know they won't be back for a while? Could he tell ahead of time that this would happen? I don't know if they've been gone long enough for him to understand. After Erin left yesterday, Arlo found Damascus laying on Erin's old bed in an empty room. That's where he would always sleep if no one was home. Today, he has been sitting by the door a lot... seemingly waiting.

I just wonder how he feels...


It has only been a day, but it's weird for me too. Whenever I drive up the hill, I look at who is parked on the street and always look for Erin's car. I've already caught myself checking a few times since she left. Though our schedules were always opposite, and sometimes I didn't see her for a few days, the house feels kind of empty now. Don't get me wrong, I love all of my other roommates! I've just been trying to figure out why I feel off today, even though it's sunny and beautiful. And then I realized I have just been sitting around the house like the dog, waiting for her to come home.

I miss you Erin!