F1 driver Lewis Hamilton was one of four Vogue cover stars for the May issue, each one of the four being a co-chair for this year’s Met Gala and its theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” a celebration of Black Dandyism. It was one of the all-time best dressed nights for the event, with a particularly fantastic look from Lewis. Still, I think it’s safe to say the honor paled in comparison to three months later when Roscoe Hamilton, Lewis’ scrumptious bulldog companion, landed the cover of Dogue in August. Roscoe proudly showed off his beatific rumples and rolls for the camera, but it was this comment in the profile which proved to be a bit haunting: “It’s been a big year for the Hamilton family, and we can only imagine what the duo might accomplish next.” There was no way to know at the time, but sadly, Roscoe was called to cross the rainbow bridge just one month later. Being the parent responsible for making that devastating decision — the one that’s best for the pup but breaks your heart — is never easy, and Lewis poured his heart out in a tribute to Roscoe the day after he passed. It’s now been a month, and Lewis just shared more of his raw grief in an interview conducted on the eve of what would have been Roscoe’s 13th birthday:
“I miss him so much. I’ve never missed anything so much in my life. It’s his birthday tomorrow and he would have been 13. It’s a very strange kind of time in my life because now I go home and his bed is there, his toys are there and I haven’t moved them. I see things that remind me of him every day.
A lot of fans [are] doing amazing drawings and giving me gifts. It’s a beautiful thing… somehow through this grief, it’s brought me closer to people because so many people in the world experience loss and grief.
I met someone today. They’re like, ‘I lost two of my dogs in one month just recently.’ It has given me a lot of hope that there are really good people in the world.
We live in a really divided time around the world… There’s a lot of people particularly in high power positions that clearly don’t have any empathy [and] don’t care about people. So it’s really great to connect with people in that respect.
I’m going to miss him. Every Christmas I go to the mountains with him and play in the snow. I don’t have that now.
Someone asked me earlier on, ‘are you going to get another dog?’ I can’t replace it. It’s not a car, you know? I can’t just go and get a new one. He was my son.”
[From Behind Grand Prix via YouTube]
Oh honey, I know your pain. I was a wreck last year when I lost My Girl, who like Roscoe, was also only 12 when she passed. I knew she was aging, but it felt like all of a sudden all her systems were shutting down. We’re lucky that we live just a block and a half from our vet, and one tiny bit of comfort I had in knowing I was making the right decision was the fact that she couldn’t do the whole walk that last time; I had to carry her most of the way. But even knowing that it’s the right decision doesn’t make it any easier. I cried reading Lewis’ honest, candid words, and I’m crying again recalling the final days I had with My Girl. It’s a heartbreak like no other. I don’t know if this means I’m not as strong as Lewis, but my way through grief was indeed to get another dog. It happened a lot sooner than I thought it would, but like they say, the dog finds you. My Guy hopped into my lap at the shelter and it was all over. He doesn’t replace My Girl; no one ever could, and I cherish the keepsake that greets me everyday — a picture of My Girl above an indentation of her paw print. But I am so so glad that I welcomed My Guy as soon as I did. To me, it was the best way to honor My Girl’s memory, to bring home another rescue. So my wish for Lewis is that someday he’ll find his next son or daughter. Not as a replacement, but as an addition. Someone to race through life with.
Photos credit: Lee Floyd/Avalon, Photoshot/Avalon, Photoshot/Avalon, ATP/Look Press/Avalon, Cover Images and via Instagram