Reflecting on Nadi's 12th birthday

It's hard for me to believe at times that it has been that long. I sometimes stop and think about how incredible it is that I have lived outside of my home country for over 20 years at this point. When I think back to younger me, filled with dreams and doubts, I never would have guessed that this is where I would have ended up in life. It wasn't even a conscious or really planned decision either, I just met some cool people one day and then decided that I was going to live their life for a year and the next thing I know many many years had passed.

Although it seems unfathomable now, I didn't mean to get Nadi either. I just came home one day and the girl I was living with at the time had acquired her while I was at work. Knowing what I know about dogs I was initially very upset about this because it seemed to me to be a sporadic decision on the girl's part but just like the meme goes with "Dad and the cat" I soon became so attached to Nadi that I couldn't imagine her not being a part of my life.

The girl who brought Nadi back to our shared house that day is long gone and hasn't been a part of my life for many years but Nadi remains and is the creature on the planet that I care about more than any other. I constantly worry about her and do the best I can to make sure she is happy and I am sure there are others out there with pets that feel the same way I do about Nadi.

A few days ago it was Nadi's birthday and we celebrated a little bit even though she has no concept of time, age, or life and death. The above picture was from Nadi's 2nd birthday. It's crazy to me that this was a DECADE ago.

Her 12th birthday was celebrated with just me and her and of course she has no idea what is going on but doesn't care. The whole day the treats just kept coming, we went down to the beach even though it was raining and later on she had eaten so many wonderful things that she threw a bunch of them up. This was not a sickness puke, it was over indulgence and it reminded me that almost all dogs have no slow down gears when it comes to consumption. Nadi eats everything she is given as if I was going to take it away from her, even though there have only been a couple of instances where she did have food taken away, and that was for her own good.

Nadi lives a relatively luxurious life, and I think that she is more well-known in this city than I am. Her name is Nadi, to many people I am "the big guy with the cute little dog always with him."

I do try to take her with me wherever I go as often as I can, such as this breakfast that I had to carry her under an umbrella in order to get us there dry. I didn't need to bring her with me, but the sad look on her face every time that I leave the house without her normally will convince me to take her along as often as I possibly can. Thankfully, the part of Vietnam that I live in is very welcoming to pets coming as well and there are no health code laws that prevent you from bringing a dog along.

She is such a good dog. I never have to worry about her messing anything up and even when she did throw up the other night after a day filled with constant treats, she walked away from her dog bed and to a part of the floor that is out of the way. She is so considerate. After this is done with, I clean her face, make sure she is ok, and then normally will give her more treats to "settle her stomach."

During some of these times though, I start to worry a bit when I sit and look at her. She is not young anymore. Her fur is turning grey all over her body and she has little "old doggy bumps" all over her body. Her teeth are starting to fall out and one of her eyes has the white haze that is starting to take over.

While Shih-Tzus do have a pretty long lifespan, the average time that they live is 10-16 years. We are already 2 years past the lower end. Nadi seems to be in great health given her age, and is often so energetic that people are surprised when I tell them that in doggy years, Nadi is 84 years old.

I worry about this a lot, and this is part of the reason why I always take her with me any time that I can. Thankfully, the internet is filled with wonderful stories about Shih Tzus living to 16 and even 20 years and these stories also indicate that the dogs were in fine health right up to the point where they weren't.

This is a tragic side of having a pet and the old statement goes that "having a dog will bring you some of the best memories of your life, and also one of the worst." We have to take the good with the bad. I just know that it makes me sad to think that one day she will not be here anymore.

The only thing I can do is make sure that the time we do have left is well spent, and that she is happy and comfortable all of that time. Right now she is about 2 meters from my feet and she is snoring. I never get tired of how cute that is and I am so grateful that my ex decided to pick Nadi up all those years ago. She has shaped my life in many ways and almost all of them are for the better.

Happy Birthday Nadi. Here's to many more of them!