good grief

A vet friend talked from his perspective about putting animals down. He thinks that people sometimes put it off too long because they want to spend more time with the animal they love. That is understandable, except that sometimes that means that the poor thing suffers a lot as it dies. I already knew from the bottom of my heart that it was time to say goodbye to Coco, but there was some comfort in hearing this from him. Euthanasia was the most humane option for my pet. Her daily suffering was obvious.

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The process was so peaceful. They gave us as much time as we wanted. When we were ready, they attached an IV. Then, while we were all in the room, saying our goodbyes, they injected an anesthetic into the IV. She felt a dreamy buzz, but only for a moment. The anesthetic quickly put her in la-la land, and she was completely oblivious to our presence. We said our very last goodbyes, and left the room as they put another solution into the IV.

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I honestly expected that I would be untouched by emotion through this. I never felt as close to this dog as to other pets we've had. But when I saw my family in tears, it tore me apart inside. I grieved in earnest because of their grieving.

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I have wondered what it's like to be with a person while the essence of life escapes and turns their body into a vacant shell. Last Friday reminded me that death is a profound mystery to me. Then I tried to wrap my mind around the mystery of life, and how things are sustained or even made alive to begin with! These meditations left me worshipping our marvelous Creator.

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"In him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:28a

a sunset for coco

Former acquaintances bought a puppy to be their baby's companion. They were new to caring for babies as well as dogs, but I can see how they would think it was the thing to to. Fearing that the little nipper wasn't safe enough, they confined the poor dog to the basement. (That does not improve a puppy's socialization skills.) When they needed to take a trip out of town for a few days, they asked us to care for the pup. That's fine, but they never came back for her. Now we've had her for thirteen years, and before today is over, we will have put her down. I did not feel as close to this dog as the rest of the family, but among the wife and kids in the Craver household, tears will flow freely this weekend.

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Since this is the "sunset" of her life, I dedicate this photo to Coco's memory:

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