Dear Least
What a beautiful poem. My heartfelt condolences to you and the rest of your animal family who are also mourning the emptiness after Jack's passing.
I have lost many pets - because I've always been surrounded by them - (to my husband's dismay
- and each and everytime I lost one or had to let go of one , I said I am not opening myself up to such heartbreak again
The last part of last year and beginning of this year I lost 3 sweet dogs - all due to old age. Two of them dachshunds , brother and sister. A month apart, and then my beloved, cherished, animal-other-half Great Dane, Mable . My family became worried about how deeply I was mourning her. And then our beloved horse - a showjumper ... we took him to our farm a year ago to retire with 3 other horses - and while we were in France - he broke his neck while playing with the others - and had to be euthanized. It was my daughter's horse , and seeing as we were not here, she had to handle it all on her own - my poor poor child.
I then said - no more - no more ! I cannot cope with the heartbreak.
But our Basset , Bentley was mourning so so badly , he wouldn't even eat. And so ... came along Cooper , also a Basset. It was the best thing I could have done for him , even though I swore "no more, no more", even willing myself not to get too fond of him - epic fail there
I grew to accept that I cannot forsake the chance of loving them and having the pleasure of having them in my life , just because I am dreading the day they are not there anymore. They are gifts from heaven - all of them - I love them more than I love humans ,and could never live without them, even knowing they are only "loaned" to us for a too short while.
May you find peace in your heart , knowing that you gave your beloved furball the best that life could possibly have offered him, and that he feels only gratitude and love towards you, up there in doggy heaven, until you meet again.
