Today, we put one of our pets down. His name was Paco. He was a black lab/chow. His temperament was kind of like Eyore. He was gentle and content. His fur was always unmanageable. I would brush and brush him, but to no avail. God gives us our animals to teach us how to love. They are helpless. They depend on us for food, shelter, and love.
Paco will be missed. He seemed to go downhill after we put Hope down about a month ago. She was in congestive heart failure. Paco loved her. Hope couldn't bark, so when she wanted to come in the house, Paco would bark to let us know that she wanted to come in. Somehow he found purpose in her weakness. His back hips were the major problem. He had a hard time just standing up. For the last two weeks of his life, I cooked liver for him when I came home from work. He seemed to happy to see me (probably because he knew his cooked meal was coming).
He was born in Highland, CA. Someone left a box of puppies on the playground at Thompson School many years ago (15 I believe). My son, Chris, was helping Robert Mercado (who was then the custodian) during the summer. Chris brought a small black fluff ball of a puppy and said, "Mom, can we keep him?" Of course we kept him. Who could say no to such a cute puppy? Not me. We had a dalmatian, Prancer, at home. He was a puppy also. We thought he could use a friend. And best friends they became. They were inseparable. Two peas in a pod. In 2012, we had to put Prancer down as he had some type of inflammation in his intestines.
Sometimes I feel sad that he lived outdoors most of his life. The reason for this was that he was not housebroken. I know my thoughts are a little scattered right now, but just wanted to share something about our dog, Paco, today.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Friday, October 10, 2014
Tend the People in Your Garden
Friends and Family,
Sometimes you just have to think. We all have people in our lives who have loved us. They are not perfect, but they love us - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends. But have we truly loved them?
I look in my own life. My parents divorced and that was difficult. But they always remembered my children's birthdays and holidays. They sent cards with gifts and put a smile on those faces. On the other hand, I (as a grandma) am less consistent with sending cards. Most of my grandchildren live far away. Family splits have taken place and it is very difficult to stay connected. And yet, I do love them. But do they know it? And if my provision of monetary gifts is the only way that they will know me, is that the way that it should be? I don't think so. Relationships must be more than cards and gifts, but I guess that is at least a way to say "I care."
Let's look at my parents - Years and years of sending cards to grandchildren who barely acknowledge them in any way. My mother has Parkinson's disease. Is there not anyone to send her a card or call her? Do they even so much as know when her birthday is? I doubt it. My dad is 83 and still tries to be there for them all. Do any of his grandchildren even call to check up on him and see if he is ok? Do they tell him that they love him? Do they know his birthday?
These are very difficult issues to think through. All but one of my children are adults. Maybe I failed in some kind of way just trying to make it through each day. Maybe we don't stop and smell the roses as much as we should. God has put people in our lives for a season and we really need to cherish them more than the mundane routines that we find ourselves in on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis.
So, if you are reading this and it has touched your heart, give that person a call or send them a card. You know who they are as the Lord has showed you. I hope this helps someone's relationship.
Sometimes you just have to think. We all have people in our lives who have loved us. They are not perfect, but they love us - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends. But have we truly loved them?
I look in my own life. My parents divorced and that was difficult. But they always remembered my children's birthdays and holidays. They sent cards with gifts and put a smile on those faces. On the other hand, I (as a grandma) am less consistent with sending cards. Most of my grandchildren live far away. Family splits have taken place and it is very difficult to stay connected. And yet, I do love them. But do they know it? And if my provision of monetary gifts is the only way that they will know me, is that the way that it should be? I don't think so. Relationships must be more than cards and gifts, but I guess that is at least a way to say "I care."
Let's look at my parents - Years and years of sending cards to grandchildren who barely acknowledge them in any way. My mother has Parkinson's disease. Is there not anyone to send her a card or call her? Do they even so much as know when her birthday is? I doubt it. My dad is 83 and still tries to be there for them all. Do any of his grandchildren even call to check up on him and see if he is ok? Do they tell him that they love him? Do they know his birthday?
These are very difficult issues to think through. All but one of my children are adults. Maybe I failed in some kind of way just trying to make it through each day. Maybe we don't stop and smell the roses as much as we should. God has put people in our lives for a season and we really need to cherish them more than the mundane routines that we find ourselves in on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis.
So, if you are reading this and it has touched your heart, give that person a call or send them a card. You know who they are as the Lord has showed you. I hope this helps someone's relationship.
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