There are a couple variations of the quote, but Mark Twain is credited with saying "The reports of my death are an exaggeration."
which leads to today's topic.
Is it possible to grieve the loss of someone or something that is still around?
The answer is a definite yes!
We proved it this past weekend.
Our dachshunds are getting old - they turned 14 this past summer, which is pushing the limits for their expected lifespan. In addition, Tinker had been steadily losing weight for the past four years. She has remained active and otherwise healthy, but she has dropped from a maximum weight of just over ten pounds to seven and a quarter, and the vet has no idea why. We've worried about that, but not too much since otherwise she has seemed happy and healthy.
Friday, all she wanted to do was sleep. At first, we just assumed that she was as tired as we were after a whirlwind trip to Bertram for Thanksgiving, but Saturday she was worse. She was lethargic, and when she did move she was weak and a little clumsy. Sunday was just as bad, and Honey and I were afraid Tinker was on the way out. Honey even asked me to get up first to let them out because she did not want to find her dead.
I called the vet when they opened on Monday and got the first available appointment. By the time we got there, Tinker was better - a long way from 100%, but noticeably better.
Other than being slightly dehydrated, the vet could find nothing wrong with her. The crisis seems to have passed.
We know that we will lose her sometime in the rapidly approaching future, but for now, we'll try to be grateful for the joy she has brought us over the years.
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