Remembering the Good Witch

Pets never live as long as we want them to. They come into our lives for a reason, cast precious little spells, and then they leave us with sweet memories as we continue on our way.

This was the case with my childhood spaniel, Juliet. Who brightened the lives of myself and my family for over 10 short years. She was a good witch, sweet as sugar, with chocolatey brown eyes and a spotted snoot, so of course, we got her an outfit to match!

Before we return to the costume a little background on Juliet. Juliet was a loveable spaniel mix that lived for about 15 years. Many of my memories with her are lost to the sands of time but I do recall how shy and scared our rescue girl was. She would cower in her crate, hide under blankets, and would make a mess in even the smallest storm (a fear she was never able to overcome) but over time, and with much coaxing that cowardly shell was shed. She came to trust us, run with the family in the park, play and tussle with myself and my sister, and come to one of us when dark storm clouds hovered near. Juliet was with me when I was at my lowest point. Juliet was there when our family moved from apartment to apartment. Juliet was there when we lost our sweet black cat Tokyo. Whenever I think back on the bits and pieces my swiss cheese memory retains, Juliet was always there. Through thick and thin her little grinch paws and sniveling snoot pulled me through.

And I remember the day we took her on her final walk. She was so tired yet at ease with us. We gave her so many treats and lots of water on that August day. One final summery hurrah before she 'crossed the rainbow bridge' aka passed away.

There are many days I wish she was still here. Able to play and cuddle with me. But the pain was too much for the good witch Juliet and it was time to let her go. My family and I are huge Star Trek fans, and I like to think she is now with the near-magical "Q" species, awaiting her turn as the Dog.

Because Juliet, like so many other animals that grace our lives with their presence, was a good girl. One whose ability to brighten my life bordered on magical.

This is why my favorite photo of her is of her dressed in colorful candy corn hues, with a colorful witch hat looking adorably up at the camera. Because she came into our lives for a reason, with her incredibly powerful sense of smell, an affinity for hunting lizards, and a shy yet loving nature, blessed us with lessons on family and love before departing this world.

Any magic trick you see on stage at a Vegas revue or child's birthday party is some combination of sleight of hand, tech tricks, and/or the power of suggestion. I've loved James Randi's skepticism and Penn & Teller's no BS approach to life and magic tricks since I was young. But I depart from that rationality when it comes to the topic of love. Because if I can fall deeply in love and develop familial ties to a dog then surely that dog, and by extension all of our pets, must have some sort of power. The power of love.

So now I leave you with this quote from the musical Wicked, which I believe encapsulates my feelings towards my spaniel. Sung by the good witch Glinda who Juliet in her candy corn sweetness was for just one Halloween evening.

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you

- For Good, Wicked the Musical