A year ago today my best friend died.
In many ways, I can't believe 365 days have passed. I'm reminded of her every day...each time I walk past one of her favourite cat-spotting corners; whenever I sit some place where we used to settle together and contemplate life as we watched the day go by; every time she appears in a dream splashing in the surf or jumping up to sit on the bed with me.
To mark this day, I looked through thousands of photos I have of Pasta, each reminding me of a specific moment, a specific day, often a specific silly thing she did...re-connecting with memories that fell into place like pixels in an image to form an emotional imprint.
In the end, I chose a photo from our last outing together.
Like me, Pasta enjoyed travelling. For a dog, she was incredibly well-travelled, having resided in three countries and explored an abundance of scenic locations in each.
I selected this image because it reflects the pleasure she derived from exploring. But also, because it symbolises something important...the fact that she'll always be with me, even if, as with a reflection in the mirror, I can't reach out and touch her.
There's a Taoist proverb about life: "The journey is the reward."
So it was for Pasta.
So it should be for us all.