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Saturday, May 30, 2009

Shalom

This past week was a week full of partings. Life can be odd sometimes; fate has a funny way of filling life with coincidences.

I received news Wednesday evening that a much loved uncle had passed away. A gentle, caring man with an amazing sense of humour. He was 'country folk' through and through. He spent his life with animals, working in the cattle business and he loved his horses and dogs. He lost his mother at the age of two and was mostly raised by my grandmother, only six years his senior. I have no doubt she taught him how to love for she passed the same lessons on to me. Our mutual love for her was a special bond between us.

That same evening, my husband and I were quite concerned about our older cat Chloe. For several days, she had no longer had the desire to go downstairs, but rather spent all of her time on our bed. We moved her food and water dishes upstairs and my husband purchased another litter pan for her so she wouldn't have to go down into the 150 year old basement. Soon things seemed to be looking far more grim than just not leaving our bed. She was breathing heavily at times; it took quite a bit of coaxing to calm her down. By Wednesday evening she was too weak to walk; she could barely stand. She trembled so much, we finally had to make a bed for her in a cardboard box so that she wouldn't fall and hurt herself. She spent the next day in her box beside my husband's desk as he worked. Occasionally, she would start to panic, he would pet her while whispering soothing words to her and she would eventually quiet down. I fully didn't expect to see her when I came home that evening; I had said my good byes before I left for work that morning but she hung in there until we were all home for the evening and after dinner was over and the dishes were done, she quietly slipped away. It was peaceful and I believe it was on her own terms. No undignified trip to the vet's or terrifying ride in the car. After 19 years, she deserved no less.

1 comment:

~from my front porch in the mountains~ said...

I love your blog! I am sorry about your loss of Chloe. In Feb 2008 we lost our 21 year Siamese old cat, Maverick. It is never easy to let an old friend go!
Come by "our front porch" sometime! I am adding myself as follower on your blog-I just love meeting new people.

Have a blessed day!
Misha