my friend moo…
His name was Moo. He was a really good dog. We had Moo for about 10 yrs. He had glaucoma and began to have seizures. It was finally time. :(
Let me tell you about his personality a little bit. Moo was more of a cat. I mean, not in his physical abilities (the dog was overweight and ran into walls) but more of a cat in his personality. He just kinda put up with humans. He didn’t really “like” humans. He would run away from us all the time. He didn’t do those normal “happy to see you” dog things. Sure, he would let the kids wrestle him, lay on him, and dress him up….but you always had this sense that he was just waiting for the right moment to get up and move to the other side of the room.
He was awesome. He was the perfect dog for that season of our life. But, it was time.
I had never done this before. I took him to the vet but I didn’t want to go in. I couldn’t because I was crying too much. I took him on a walk around the office. I wanted him to experience nature one last time…not the cold hard pavement of the parking lot.
Eventually, it was time. I took him into the vet room and laid on the ground with him. It was so hard. I hated it.
The time came. He was gone.
I cried and cried. I hated it.
The vet knew exactly what to say. She didn’t say much, but what she said helped.
That night we gathered the kids and created a little memorial for him. All of us said something that we loved about Moo. It was a perfect little celebration of a good dog.
What do you say? How do you talk to your kids about that stuff? I tended to lean into what the Vet did for me. I said very little. I tried to be with them and share their grief.
The writer of Ecclesiastes says there is, “A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.” Eccles. 3:4
I’m so thankful for those moments of little words and shared grief. Those moments helped us reflect on the things we loved most about Moo. They helped us process the pain of losing Moo.
Some of you are reading this right now and experiencing pain that I can’t even imagine. I’m so sorry. My hope for you is that there is a group of people in your life that can share in your grief with you. A group of people that recognize the value of processing your grief.
Maybe you experienced pain in your life that you weren’t equipped to handle. A moment that tried to push through with overwhelming positivity. These moments shape you. You may not realize it now but they impacted you. They may bubble up as negative habits, addictions, anger, or even depression.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t breeze by pain. There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
If you are struggling with pain right now….know you aren’t alone. Reach out. If you know someone who is struggling with pain, be that friend you wish you had. One of the hardest things to do is process grief alone.
