All great things will end

When he was born it was written that he would die. That he would somehow elude death was never in the cards, not even a remote possibility. But even though I don't think anyone seriously imagined him living forever, as time passed and the puppy grew into a lanky adolescent and a vigorous hound into a venerable senior, an idea of his immortality crept into our hearts and took root. It happened right away, the first time we saw him wrestle with a gigantic tree branch, which though many times his size, he would unhurriedly drag into the open so that he could display it in his mouth. He loved branches between his jaws, that's for sure, and when we saw this puppy collecting his kindling we knew that he gathered them for the fire that would represent our love for him. There were trillions of branches.

He is a proud dog and will fight at a moment's notice. If I were in a war I would throw the feeble weapons put into my peasant's hands and instead pick up his leash. I would go to war with him guiding me. To test his mettle, I often tried to catch him unawares, sneak up on him and attack him with all my considerable might. But he would meet me with the soul of an ancient warrior and so we would do battle. I would always sincerely try to kick his ass but he only toyed with me, carefully gripping my wrists in his jaws but never to snap them. Then, after some time gauging each other's vitality and potency, we would lay on our backs, relax in the grass and take turns describing the shapes we saw in the clouds overhead. He would share his ideas about the world and anything else he might have with him. I laughed at the things he told me, and he smiled at me, because my laughter gave him such pleasure. Above all he has a fearless and limitless capacity for gentleness and love.

When he gradually became immortal he did not brag about it. He could have rubbed it in our faces, mocking our brief lives while he counted centuries as fractions of seconds. He basically kept everything the same, refusing to abandon us for the high reaches of the heavens, or wherever it is that beings like him while away eternity. Still, we could feel it in his presence which at once soothed and reassured us. Even when we didn't have food in our hands, he would allow everyone a moment to touch him, perhaps he would use his pleasantly rough tongue to give your hand a lick from time to time. His eyes see everything and disarm us of our embarrassment and regrets. He doesn't care about all that. My sweet comrade! My dear brother! My beloved friend! It is only now that I realize that your immortality is necessary because the world does not exist without you! You cradle the world in your paws, the universe is balanced on your powerful back. Though you may be leaving us, not one day will pass where you are not living with me. And when my mortal coil unwinds I will listen for your bark. "I may be done but at least he remains," will be my last thought.