When I got into the car I held the little box to my heart and wept. I learned 50+ years ago that when you have pets, they WILL eventually get sick, get old and die. But that doesn't make it any easier when they do.

I still feel this enormous hole in my heart. I believe that this death has hurt me more than any other pet's loss in my life. I'm not going nearly as far as this, but I remember in 1963 when my grandfather's dog of 22 years, Pepper, died, he lost all will to live. I often heard my mom and aunts & uncles recounting hearing Grand Pop saying that his dog was dead and he didn't want to live anymore. He was gone within a few months. I certainly don't go as far as that. In fact, I want to get another doggie again BECAUSE of how much I love Curly.

But DAMN, this still hurts like Hell. I didn't know that I could cry this much in 5 years, let alone 5 days! I keep remembering how VP Biden saying how eventually the memory will bring the smile before it brings the tear. I know that this will eventually come, but God damn, it hurts now.

I love and miss my little boy.

Thanks for reading.

PEACE!

RESIST!

At about 9AM this morning, our doggie Curly, my sweet little boy and best four legged friend for the nearly five years since he joined our family, crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He had been sick, lethargic and very weak for about the past ten days. He'd lost his appetite, lost control of his bladder and had nearly no bodily strength for the last 2 or 3 days.

We kept hoping against hope that he would rally, but this morning it became clear that he was ready to move on. My wife, son and I took him to the vet. I held my loyal little friend from the time I got up this morning until we got to the animal hospital. As his life was ending, the last thing that Curly knew in this world was being held, caressed kissed and being told how much he is loved by his family. I was rubbing the fur on his head when the doctor told us that his brave little heart had stopped, and the three of us went through a LOT of tissues.

While I'm not very religious, I am very grateful to Pope Francis for his statement about a year ago that he believed that God has a place for such loving creatures as our pets, and I think of Curly in Doggie Heaven running with his doggie and kitty brothers and sisters chasing bunnies and eating biscuits, or as he knew them to be called, cookies.

Good night and goodbye my sweet boy. We miss you, we'll ALWAYS love you, and rides in the car just won't be the same without you. Thank you so much for being a such an important and vital and loving part of our family. Thank you for five years of being my best friend. Now go find Spencer, Daisy, Gretchen, Frisky, Butch, Spirit and Moe. As eternity is measured, it won't be that long before we're all together again!

I love my little boy!

PEACE!

RESIST!