Memories Are Made of This – Conversations with Stella

I am Stella, Queen of the Olde English Bulldogges. Lady Human, whatcha doin’?

Me:        Looking at some old photographs.

Stella:    Pictures? Pictures of me?

Me:        No.

Stella:    Then why are you wasting your time looking at them? Look at pictures of me. Better yet, look at me.

Me:        These are pictures of someone I knew a long, long time ago. Someone who just passed on.

Stella:    Oh. You mean the way Snoopey passed on.

Me:        Yeah.

Stella:    So you look at pictures to remember.

Me:        It helps me.

Stella:    I remember without pictures. Humans spend a lot of time on stuff like pictures and boxes.

Me:        Yeah, we do. Memories fade though.

Stella:    Not if you practice them. Practice remembering every fine thing about your someone who passed on and then remember their good face.

Me:        Good face?

Stella:    You know. Good face, like when they were having fun, or when they had just finished a big bowl of food or lapped up a bunch of cool water, or just jumped dripping wet out of the puppy pool on a hot day. Of course, Snoopey didn’t do that last one because Snoopey hated water except for the drinking kind. When I remember Snoopey, I remember her hopping up and down at your feet, all excited, bouncing on her front legs. I don’t dwell on her fights with Tiger or, yuck, her long conversations with the cat.

Me:        Thank you, Stella. I’ll still keep the old photos though.

Stella:    So long as they bring you comfort, Lady Human.  And so long as they don’t take your attention away from me.

Copyright 2018 H.J. Hill All Rights Reserved.