in

Dating : Pepperakos: A Small Tail

h2>Dating : Pepperakos: A Small Tail

Russell Hayes

Pepperakos. Peppos. Pepper. Pepperoni. Peppino. Peppis. These were the most popular names I gave him over the course of the last eleven years. I never fully understood how, why, or when I chose those names. All I remember now is that whenever I used one of the names, it was always based on a feeling at that moment. Those feelings were always morphing inside me, shifting on a spectrum of emotions. But whenever Peppos was around, that shift was always towards the positive end of the meter. That was the magic of Pepper.

Pepper lives in a special place that exists only partially in this world, a place where I am allowed to see him when I need to. It is a palace of grand Victorian era architecture with a supportive exoskeleton of ornate brass whose only purpose is to hold enormous panels of pure crystal for the walls and cathedral-like ceiling. To a perfect temperature every day, the sun fills the space which, although built by humans, is not a dwelling for them. Instead, an ageless, lush garden lives on in stasis between the crystal walls. Beautiful vines and ivies attempt futile climbs up the crystal and brass enclosure before their fractal limbs shrink into infinity. At the center, there is the only one Great Tree, and from it, rolling mounds of dirt, grass, and low-lying plants fan out. The nooks and crannies created by the star moss and stones afford the perfect hiding places for other creatures like colorful moths, sprites, and caterpillars; all were friends of Peppos. It is even said that flowers of all shapes, colors, and sizes, thrive but are only identifiable by fragrance alone because their physical beauty is imperceptible to us. That is what makes the garden so special. Some things are easily seen and some things are not.

Peppis is alert and stands guard by the Great Tree on most days. But eventually, the sun warms his back until he quietly succumbs to a drowsy enchantment. This is when I most like to visit. I gently nudge him back to life with repeated strokes along his tiny body to rub off the harmless spell. He loves it. As I sit on the ground next to him, he slowly rises up and relocates to my lap for more caressing. That’s the way he always is; when he realizes that you are present, his only desire is to simply be with you. The feelings of stress and despair that followed me into the palace were effortlessly banished by Pepperakos, whether or not he was aware of it. It doesn’t really matter because whatever he did, he did it out of love. Always.

And that is the greatest blessing that Peppikos left me — that it IS possible to love unconditionally at all stages of life. And even after life ends. You see, I am so grateful for the life my partner shared with me. I never thought that such a small creature, a five-pound Chihuahua, could have such a lasting impact on me. During life, he truly helped calm me down and distracted me just long enough where I could return to reality and finish the day. Every day. And when he died, I panicked and mourned. I still do. But I also realized that so much of my own attachment to Peppy is within my own psyche. The bond that he and I created together lives on. Whenever I choose, I can conjure up the best, most loving memories in my mind. Even as time passes and details of my memory begin to fade, I can still relive loving experiences in my mind. For me, a form of therapy has been to take those memories and extend them into realities that only Pepperakos and I would understand. I created a physical place, a diorama of sorts combined with a terrarium, to serve as a gateway back to Pepper. I don’t visit it as much as I did in the early days post-loss, but I keep it because it’s a fun reminder of a beautiful life. When I’m done with that visit (it can be seconds or minutes or foreverrrrr), I return to world and continue on with life. And I hope that this little story can help do the same for you.

Pepperakos under the Great Tree
Read also  Dating : Escape Velocity

What do you think?

22 Points
Upvote Downvote

Laisser un commentaire

Votre adresse e-mail ne sera pas publiée. Les champs obligatoires sont indiqués avec *

Tinder : Weekly story time thread

Dating : Best casual Hookups dating app