First: A bit of business…
The winner of the Tomy Chuggington Stack Track Giveaway is:
1) Danielle M: dgood————
Congratulations, Danielle. I’ve emailed you to obtain shipping address information. I hope you enjoy your Stack Tracks as much as we have.
And now…Back to our regularly scheduled post:
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”What’s a liver?” The Small One asked, tears in his eyes.
I walked over to my youngest son and rubbed his back as I spoke. ”It’s one of your internal organs. It does lots of things. One of its jobs is to move waste through your body. I think. Biology has never been my specialty, hon.”
“Oh, it’s biology?” He brightened, scraped back his chair, and scampered away from the kitchen table. ”Hang on! I’ll be riiiight baaaaack!” His voice trailed off as he ascended the stairs to his room.
That left The Twins and me to blink at one another through our own watery eyes as we ate our cereal under an almost tangible cloud of despair.
“Will it hurt?” Twin B whispered. The three of us looked at Macy the Geriatric Weimaraner together.
She was reclined on her side, head resting upon the carpet. We knew that she could not hear…hadn’t been able to in months…but we spoke in hushed tones nonetheless.
I shook my head. ”It’s a very peaceful procedure.”
“Okay.” The Small One panted, settling down at the table once again, his cartoon illustrated biology book in his hands. ”Let’s see.” He consulted the contents, thumbed through the pages, located the one featuring an irregularly shaped blob with a smiling face, feet, and hands. A white vacuum cleaner was grasped in one of the hands. He began to read aloud. ”The liver is a wobbly workaholic who cleans up after the rest of the body. This hothouse of activity generates heat for the body. It just beats the brain as the body’s heaviest organ.”
He furrowed his brow, shrugged, and flipped feverishly through the rest of the book. His sorrow was temporarily and mercifully eclipsed by his fascination with all things scientific. ”Guys! Checkitout! Everything in your body’s in here. Everything: Heart…brain…nose…ear…stomach…”
The Twins and I slipped away from the table, laid down on the floor, and began to pet Macy, tracing our hands over the bony landscape of her 12 and a half year old body, which had dropped ten pounds in the last several weeks. Our tears flowed freely now and matted the fur around her neck as we nuzzled her.
She slept on.
“Touch…hormones…” The Small One continued, clearly on a roll now. ”…egg…sperm…baby in wahmb…”
I swiveled my head around sharply and craned my neck to see what he was reading. Baby in womb. Fabulous. Yet another dicey conversation on the horizon.
The Twins sniggered, rolled their puffy, bloodshot eyes, and looked at me knowingly.
Thankful for the levity of the moment, I grabbed a tissue, blew my nose, shooed The Small One upstairs to get dressed, and told The Twins that they needed to say their goodbyes before catching the bus to middle school.
And they did.
As they backed away, Twin A held out her phone and snapped a picture.
Then they walked out the door and toward the bus stop, shoulder to shoulder, blond heads bowed together. It took me a moment to realize that they were hunched over Twin A’s phone. The sneaky girl had smuggled it out the door with her, which was against protocol on school mornings.
And I was too drained to care.
An hour later, The Small One was gone as well.
Two hours later, so was Macy. As my groom and I walked out of the veterenarian’s office, holding her empty harness and leash between us, our phones pinged simultaneously.
We looked at each other, and then at our identical text messages:
C U in Heaven
Linking with Things I Can’t Say
So sorry to hear the news
This actually brought tears to my eyes!
But, on a brighter note… Thanks so much for such an awesome giveaway! My (almost) 4 year old is begging for Wilson’s Wild Ride for Christmas and I’m so excited to have won!!
Thank you, Danielle. And you’re most welcome.
You made me cry this morning! We will miss hearing you down the street and your big sloppy “hellos” when we come by.
The Noisiest Dog on the Block Award will need to go to another deserving canine now. Didn’t think I’d be sad to relinquish it to another family.
Oh, Sue, I’m so sorry. I’m crying in the kitchen while my kids eat breakfast. That text from your daughter was so thoughtful. Farewell to your old friend.
She’s a good girl. They both are.
Dammit. Thanks for making me weepy this morning. But really, so sorry for you loss, hon. They may be furry, but they are still our beloved babies. And dang, your kids are keepers. {hugs} to you, to them, excuse me, I must go find some funny pictures and wipe my nose.
Very appreciative of the hugs, dear…thank you. And yeah…I’ll keep the kids.
Sue, I am so sorry. I love, love, love the text your received from your daughter! How sweet. You and your family will cherish all the memories you had with your “old friend”
Agreed, Amanda. Thanks.
Sue, I’m so sorry for your loss.
Thank you, Michelle.
Oh dear. I am consumed by the memory of Leslie and me standing on our front walk sobbing and holding each other after burying our beloved cat, Cumbie, under his favorite tree. That was 20 years ago and the girls were away at college and unable to have the opportunity to say their goodbyes in person. How wonderful that you all had that chance and how blessed we are to have beloved pets to fill our minds with memories both happy and sad. Macy was a lucky puppy to land in your home and you all were lucky to have her.
Yup…goodbye was hard, but I’m so very glad The Cherubs had the opportunity.
Sue I am so sorry for your loss. You were so lucky to have had such a wonderful dog as part of your family.
Thanks, Kristen. For all the griping I did about her, she really was an outstanding friend.
I’m so sorry Sue. Having pets really sucks. You fall in love with them knowing you’ll outlive them, but the joys they bring make it so worth it
Nothing like a kid making you cry first thing in the morning! Your daughter is an absolute sweetheart. You and Rob are clearly doing something right. Hugs.
So, true, Kerri…The Cherubs are already asking when we’ll get another one. It won’t be in the immediate future, but it’ll happen, and the cycle will start all over again.
Thanks, friend.
Oh, I’m so sorry
Thank you, Betsy.
Oh my…that one made me cry. We had the same situation with one of my cats several weeks ago. I was the only one that was in tears though. Toodles has not even noticed that she is gone, though she does mention her occasionally. It is a really horrible thing to go through and for me it was a cat that was the devil and no one really even liked (except me sometimes) and I still bawled my eyes out for a whole day and a half. Thinking of you.
T
Thanks, hon. The five of us have done enough bawling to fill a riverbed. This morning was the first since Monday that I haven’t woken up looking like Jabba the Hut.
This had me literally bawling. Such a beautiful story, and your children are so sweet to think of that. I’m so sorry for your loss though =(
Aww…I didn’t mean for everyone else to cry, too…but thank you.
Wowzers! Brought all the emotions back from last year. Tears, tears, tears!!! Miss Macy was one lucky dog. Still prayin’…..
I know that it happens all the time, everywhere. And it stinks for EVERYONE.
Anybody that has ever loved a dog as part of the family is going to cry at this. Sooooo hard, I am sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing. ‘sniff sniff’
Tough stuff for sure, Beverly Ann.
Oh, I am so so sorry for your loss. Losing a beloved pet is hard…. very hard.
Thanks, Jen.
My dog is laying at my feet…snoring…and drooling on the carpet…most days he’s an asshole…but he’s family. Love him to the moon and beyond.
I can’t even imagine losing him one day.
I’m crying for you.
Much love.
I know, right? Cursing all of her weird, annoying habits was like a recreational activity for me sometimes, but yes…to the moon and back.
Oh, Sue, SO SOOO sorry for your loss. Sending you giant hugs to you and your family.
xoxo
Thanks, friend. Very much appreciated.
OMG break my heart. It’s 1am and I’m sitting in my bed crying like a baby. So so sorry for your loss….gah…my heart is literally aching for you. Hugs my darling to you and your family!
Thanks, love.
Bawling. Losing a beloved pet is so painful. I’m so sorry for your loss, Sue. Hug.
Thanks, Missy…much appreciated.
I’m so sorry for your loss
My beloved 15 yr old passed away the 17th of September…its still a horribly painful loss…our furbabies are so special <3 I think that text they sent you was so very sweet! Thanks for sharing your story {hugs}
Oh, and I’m sorry for your loss as well. They really are family.
I am crying! Holy smoke this was so poignant and filled me with a flood of emotion remembering saying good bye to our Chelsea less than three years ago. She was a 13 year old Golden Retriever. My heart broke. It was like losing a family member. Hugs to you and your sweet family.
Thank you, Emily.
We’ve already visited re Macy, so you know how I feel. Hard to tell if pets know what’s happening to them towards the end – but quite certain they both give and receive love until that last breath is taken. Love you.
Agreed. On all counts. Love you, too!
What a lovely, touching post. I’m tearing up and in awe of your children’s grace. So beautiful. Thank you for sharing this. I’m sorry for your loss.
I’m visiting from Shell’s Pour Your Heart Out.
Thank YOU, Mary.
My first time to read your blog and you have me in tears…I am hooked. And so very very sorry for the loss of your sweet doggy.
Thanks, Robbie. Nearly two weeks after the fact, we’re definitely doing better.
Awww, I’m so sorry for your loss.
Thanks, Shell…much appreciated.
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