Muscatine

I appreciate from all of you, mr nedl, frazzled etc. your warmth and I'm sorry for your loss too. You know, it's so funny how we treat our pets but truly, they are family. I read of other's pets, cats, dogs, birds, snakes, lizards, monkeys, big cats, even spiders. I remember when a man named willard had hundreds instead of just one rat. Of course that was a movie, but there that is too from Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, Old yeller, Charlie the lonesome cugar and gentle Ben. We have seen it all our lives, that people love animals.  No matter how ugly, cute or beautiful they are to us, they are so much more than our pets.  Like you Frazzled, and I'm sure if you had one nedl, missing him, is an understatement. It's not just us, it's also my daughter who actually brought me Lucious, and the grandkids. This big baby had the meow if a three month old even to the last. I know your dog had to be the most loyal companion you had too. When we are with them, there is no politics, no war, religion or pain, just us and them. I'm always amazed at how cats are supposed to be these super independent, snub you soon as they have eaten their fill kinda pets, but he wasn't. Every time luke got his fill, he was right there by my side. Evie is our other and this morning like they usually did, they would have eaten together and exchanged curiosity of each others bowls. But this morning she just sat there next to his and had this curious look about, meowed her siamese cry and came to me like she understood. I feel so foolish about this but even at my age it shouldn't, but it hurts. Bless his heart, last night Bob said *we can get another. I told him that's so sweet, but we'll be okay hunn, evie will keep us warm too. For all that, harder still was how to respond when he asked me what he wanted me to do for him yesterday. Along with all the pictures of our children, their children and even a few of their children, is Lucious and Evie too. That will be enough.

Thank you mallory. You reminded me of other tough days there. Remembering like it was yesterday too, the days we lost our grandparents, folks, aunts uncles cousins and ever so personal, our own child. As a mother and teacher too, I have had to help to ease the suffering of entire classrooms and my own. Our pets somehow seemd to help us cope in their own way. They just seemed to know that we hurt, and even when they hurt they know we suffer for them. Tough days to be sure. Missing one of our family is among the lots of life, but tough days seems to be the rule regardless. So we have to do that, get tough and push on. A pet? to be sure, but one that the entire family recogizes as one of them.