Category Archives: love

Jun 28 – One Week Later

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Zorro and me a few months back

Today’s dogryu: One Week Later

miss you so, Zorro

grateful for the time we had

still holding you close

http://www.strayrescue.org

I return to Stray Rescue today to walk some big dogs. Plenty of dogs looking for love and attention. The feelings are mutual.

In his book HOW TO LIVE WHEN A LOVED ONE DIES, Thich Nhat Hanh explains:

“Letting Emotions Flow Through You

Do not be afraid of your painful feelings and difficult emotions. If we try to repress our painful feelings, we create a lack of circulation in our psyche which can lead to depression or other psychological problems. Just as the body needs good circulation of the blood to remain healthy, we also need good psychological circulation. …

Mindfulness is the blood of our psyche. Like the blood in the body, it has the power to eliminate toxins and heal our pain. Every time our pain is embraced by mindfulness, it loses some of its strength; it becomes weaker each time. …

When mindfulness circulates in our consciousness, we begin to experience well-being. We needn’t be afraid of our pain when we know that our mindfulness is also there, ready to embrace and transform it.” p.56

http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667266/how-to-live-when-a-loved-one-dies-by-thich-nhat-hanh

A Final Goodbye with Zorro

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A final goodbye in the consolation room

After 8 days of not eating and 5 days of medical tests and treatment, I made the decision not to continue medical intervention, based on consultation with multiple medical advisors.

Zorro, a 12-year-old male Chihuahua, had an enlarged kidney, gallbladder, liver and pancreas with multiple cysts attached. The doctors said the combination of his age, size and multiple organs involved indicated that further treatment would be too intrusive and not likely to make a difference anyway.

Goodbye dear fur friend.

As Will Rogers reportedly said:

The Messiness of Life by Terry Hershey

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Zorro not feeling well (picture taken by me, also not feeling well)

Today, June 21, 2023, I will be asked to decide on end-of-life procedures for my beloved 12-year-old male Chihuahua. To say I am sad cannot express how low I feel.

As an animal chaplain, I have taken a vow to “honor animal lives and heal human hearts.” Today, I will honor Zorro and someday, maybe not today, I will heal my own heart. I know I will need help to do this and I’m uncomfortable asking for help. Giving help is easier for me than asking for it or even accepting it when it is offered.

Life is messy and Terry Hershey’s message below is especially meaningful for me today.

The Messiness of Life

Messiness exposes vulnerability. I will admit, vulnerability is not my strong suit. I do prefer self-sufficiency. And rising above. And yet, self-reliance sounds laudable, but can be an obstacle, because it is difficult to say the words “help” or “thank you.” So, here’s the good news: There is power in embracing vulnerability. And vulnerability never exempts us from the sacrament of the present. Because vulnerability allows us to rest in that touch, that blessing.

—from the book This Is the Life: Mindfulness, Finding Grace, and the Power of the Present Moment
by Terry Hershey