Happy birthday, Lilith

Lilith would have been 17 today. Every day I had with her was a blessing, and I am so thankful. Happy birthday, little friend. I love you. 

 

Changes

I'm able to think of Lilith and smile now. I still miss her, but I can look at her pictures and blow kisses at them without crying now. Ophelia has stopped meowing at the door every time I come in, but I think she's still kind of lonely, and would like a furry friend. 

I got to meet the puppies a couple of weeks ago, and will get to see them again soon. There's one in particular that stole my heart, and since I get second pick of the litter, the odds are good that he'll be able to come home with us. I'm so excited, but really scared, too. I've never been responsible for a puppy. I've had them, but as a child, so it doesn't really count. My mom isn't even alive for me to ask advice, so I'll have to muddle through as best I can. 

The puppies at 2 weeks old

I've got a puppy kindergarten program picked out, and just bought a lock for the garbage can today. I've read everything I could get my hands on about raising puppies, and now, all that's left is to live it. Just like caring for a senior pet, I'm sure there will be curveballs, but if I learned anything from Lilith, it's that I'm stronger than I ever thought possible, and I can adapt when necessary. Wish us luck!

The purpose of a dog

A friend of mine forwarded this to me, and I had to share because it's utterly perfect:

 

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa , and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.  I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ”I know why.” Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,”People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The Six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long."

Nuff said.

P.S. I found a source online. It's not the original, but it's better than nothing:
http://bayintegratedmarketing.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/a-dogs-purpose-from-a-6-year-old/