Saying Goodbye to my Work Buddy
Last month, my husband and I said goodbye to our senior dog, Chewbacca. He was just a few months shy of 17 years old and had been my constant companion.
From the first week we had him, when he fell asleep on my desk at UGA, Chewy became my furry little coworker. Thus began many years of Chewy accompanying me to work. He loved the people he got to see, and he especially loved that all my workplaces had carpet. Our “Ball Down the Hall” game was especially fun in the long hallway at SMF. He even had “work friends,” Alfie and Max.
When we hit the road full-time, I can’t say Chewy was very happy about leaving Savannah (which we joked was his retirement home), but he was delighted to have me 100% of the time. We learned early on that he loved to have his bed in the sunny front window of the RV, which meant he was my right-hand man (literally) most days.
Chewy had a big life, and he saw more of North America than most humans: 44 states, Washington, DC, and seven Canadian provinces. He made friends everywhere we went, and also made sure that I got outside and away from my laptop. Somehow, he always knew when it was 5:00 (regardless of the time zone!).
Even after a month, it’s still strange to sit down at my computer without my coworker nearby. For my entire career, Chewy was a part of my daily routine. But knowing him, I bet he’s found a perfect sunny spot on a desk in doggie heaven and settled right in for a nap.
Featured image: Photography by Elizabeth Leitzell
