Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Pugs In The Sky

We often refer to the pugs as our sun, moon and stars. And as we have shared we frequently look to the skies to see Luna and Solsey. It has been recommended that we use the North star to represent Benjamin. That was a terrific idea. However, we are not often able to spot the North star (and maybe we do see it but we cannot recognize it as such). As I have written in a previous follow up comment, I believed there were a couple of planets that we see nightly (either when Luna is out or even when she is not). I finally used the app on my phone to confirm these planets. They are now confirmed to be Venus (the brightest one) and Jupiter (the less bright one).

Although the boys were not given extra terrestial names like the girls were, we still use these celestial bodies to "talk to" Benjamin and sadly also use to refer to Henry. How we see it now, we have Solsey in the daytime, shining bright,lighting our way. She is here with us much longer in the skies than she was with us here on earth. But her light illuminates everyone everywhere. Then there is Looney. She obviously is the fickle moon. Sometimes a large white glow, sometimes a sliver and often sometime in between (on the few days leading up to the full moon, it seems that our silly girl is asking us if her "butt looks big in this moon" or "does this moon make me look fat?").

Then there are those 2 other planets. Venus and Jupiter. We see them almost nightly. Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love & Beauty. Now we know the love and beauty part fits baby Benny to a T. But he would be a Roman God not a Roman Goddess. Although it was not uncommon for people to assume he was a girl. He had long eyelashes, and other somewhat feminine features. So, Benny is Venus to us. He's hanging up there with Luna in the nights. Can't see him in the daytime when Solsey is outshining him.

As though all of that was not enough to make your eyes well up (or at least it does mine). Here is the saddest part for us. Henry, then must be Jupiter. He is dim in the sky as we know he will be next to go light the sky. Jupiter is not bright yet. It is just a slight glow waiting for him to cross the bridge to light the sky more fully. But we fight with the dim light in the sky to make sure that we keep Henry's light here on earth. We are just looking at Jupiter as a place holder near his bro. And the fact that Jupiter is the planet with the big red blotch seems to represent Henry, too. The red blotch could be any number of things: one hard working kidney or the cancerous kidney that was removed, an eye that was removed, or the cataract covered eye that remains, the hemorrhages in his brain that caused him to seize and are his biggest medical malady to date or it could just be his one large, beating. loving heart. It is not lost on us that both planets fall within the constellation of Cancer. Both the boys had some version of cancer. Benny's was mild compared to Henry's but nonetheless they have both been affected.

In any case, no matter what your belief system or your methods of coping, there is likely no denying that the skies bring comfort and peace to many. And seeing the pugs in the sky has been something that we have found very beneficial in getting us through this last year and will continue to do as life (and death) continue to come our way.

I guess instead of referring to the pugs as our sun, moon and stars, we should say sun, moon and other planets.