I never knew how to deal with loss. And I never really experienced loss so close to me.
This afternoon I received news from my ex in New York that my son Prince Lee had a seizure and he had decided to put him to sleep. As a gay man, I probably never would have any children, and Prince is the closest thing to a son to me – which is why he inherited my last name.
Prince has been there for me through my highs and my lows. He was an excellent cuddle buddy. And in my darkest hour when I had alienated the world, he was there to keep me company. In 2007, he was attacked by unleashed dogs and had to be in the emergency room for four days. He did not fully heal til three months later. Despite all the challenges in life, his will to live had been an inspiration for me, and I would like to dedicate this post through photography on our lives spent together.
2005. At SML Universe NYC Backyard
2005. Playing with toys
2006. Chewing with all the attitude
2006. Chilling out in hand-knitted sweater
2006. Scared by the Macro twin lite
I know it's crazy but I bought all my macro gear just to photograph Prince!
2006. Snout :)
2006. Menace
2006. The Last Laugh
2006. ”Coffee”
2006. I'm a lion
2006. Untitled
2006. Beauty Queen
2006. Licking Action
His tongue is quite amazing. :)
2006. Charmed
2006. Stop bothering me when I'm sleeping
2007. Prince Scarlet
2007. Recovering at the backyard
Pain in his eyes, but still a will to live – my inspiration, my hero.
2008. Somewhat recovered, walking on a rainy day
2009. Treasure hunting
2009. Fresh after haircut
2009. Bored
2009. Prince
This is the last photograph I took of Prince. I had broken up with my ex by then. It was his dog. But he remains my son. I did say goodbye before I leave New York for Hong Kong. At 18 years old, he was very old and can barely recognize me.
If seeing my dog die will bring so much emotion, I learned that it must be hard for my parents when I contemplated death a while back. Even through death, Prince was an inspiration for me to live, and for that I am forever grateful and thankful.
The full set of Prince is also available on SML Flickr.
CC-BY SML
7 comments:
While there is a clear demarcation line between human beings and other creatures, if we pick one other creature that can be very close to being human, many will choose dogs. Prince is surely outstanding on being human. It reminds me films like 義犬報恩.
Prince, you're part of the family and you're very much missed. Your bravery and kindness have left a mark in the hearts of everyone in the family.
Seeming, I can appreciate how you feel, particularly because I have lost a good friend recently. My friend did not even live with me like Prince did with you. However, she was equally inspiring in dealing with the numerous challenges in life that she had faced. When I read your post, I also feel you have so much love and kindness in you (and around you too) that could be a strong impetus to live because you have a lot that you can give - it's just a matter of finding a way to express it.
Thanks for your kind regards – sorry I didn't see this til now – I think that I have accidentally removed my comment module! :)
You are so philosophical all the time haha :)
Totally – thanks for the kind thoughts.
I think only people who have pets understand how deep the connection can be and the enormity of the loss when it inevitably happens. One of my dogs passed away almost two years ago and I still think about him more than I ever would have imagined.
Post a Comment