Saying goodbye to a pet
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| Jerry and his favorite manatee toy in 2003 |
Our pets are part of our family. They are our babies. Our fur babies. Almost all pets live just portions of our lives. But often those years are important ones.
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| Jerry and his favorite manatee toy |
They are the years we met loved ones and got married. They are the years our human children were born. They help us through our empty nest period. The years our children are born might be the hardest. We mark the lives of our fur babies with our human babies. And vice versa.
Today I have to say goodbye to Jerry.
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Jerry was there when my best friend, Karen, committed suicide.
Jerry was there when my second came home from the hospital.
He was there when we bought our first home - a condo. He was there when we bought our first house. He was there when we had to say goodbye to the kitties we took when Karen died. He was there when Olaf and Lillian joined us. And now he won’t be here for anything else.
He won’t be here when Zachary graduates 8th grade in a couple months.
He won’t be here when Allie graduates high school next year.
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| Zachary |
He won’t be here when Allie graduates high school next year.
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| Allie |
This pet who was here for almost every important event will no longer be here.
I can wrap my head around needing to put him to sleep. That is my responsibility as a pet owner. I can’t wrap my head around the finality of that.
Who will immediately jump into my lap before I've even had a chance to situate myself on the couch?
Who will beg for food at the table and nearly bite my entire finger off?
Who will yowl in the middle of the night just because?
Who will eat my hair when I'm lying on the floor?
I know Lillian and Olaf, plus any future kitties, will help fill Jerry's void, but it won't happen quickly and it still won't be complete.
