The Healing Process

It's been a tough week for us, from beginning to end. Having to put Charlie down left a hole in all our hearts. I received literally over a hundred condolences from here, from back home to from across the pond. Anyone who knows me at all knows how much our pups mean to us.

I've had to stop myself more than once from filling up three bowls of food instead of two. I still look directly at the love seat when coming home from work, expecting to see Charlie sprawled out as soon as I walk through the door.

Both our other dogs have paced the house and yard, sniffing around every spot where ole Chas hung out.

People at work have been very nice and given me many hugs and condolences as well.



By mid week, things changed again.

My brother had major surgery scheduled on his ankle. It had been hurting him for quite a while and ended up being from an old fracture when he was a teenager. They had to basically saw his ankle in two, make repairs and reattach it. Massey spent the night at his house the night before and took him to the hospital in the early morning hours of Wednesday. A two hour surgery turned into four and makes you think about a lot. Anesthesia is always risky, along with complications after. We were much relieved to finally get the call that he was out of surgery and in recovery.

These two are all that's left of my immediate family and both mean the world to me. We are different yet also very similar. We all love our pups and all love each other.

It made me realize that while losing Charlie was a huge heartache, losing one of my sibs would be a devastation I'm not sure I could recover from.

He had a lot of pain after the surgery and if anyone knows my brother, knows he isn't one to complain or have to rely on others.

He was a zombie for twenty four hours, with his worried pups by his side, pacing back and forth.

Day two brought the real pain, after the anesthesia had worn off and the healing began. When you get our age (and he is three years older than me) healing is never as easy as it was when you were a kid.

Massey has been an excellent Florence Nightingale to her uncle. She doesn't get on his nerves the way I do so I let her take the reigns.

Although I am  a pretty good Docta.

                         My possum innards poultice is legendary in Bugtussle and Hooterville.


Day three of his recovery his next door neighbor and close friend got married at the park in their neighborhood, right around the corner. My brother lives in a nature preserve and is an absolutely beautiful place to live or visit.

Chris had been planning on delivering the groom to the ceremony in his boat via the dock at the park but pain just didn't cooperate. His friend drove the boat over for him and did the honors.

                                                               It was still pretty cool.

                                      Once the groom arrived, the bride came down the aisle.

                              It's been a week of loss, worry, healing and even  a new beginning.


Seems in a few short days I've been through the circle of life...literally. Tim had to leave after the ceremony, one of his drivers at work had been in an accident. Chris simply couldn't make it because of his pain, but the groom totally understood.

No worries, Massey and I ate and drank and had a grand ole time. Afterwards we stopped by my brother's house and checked on him. He was feeling better and had two of his friends visiting him.


                               In the grand scheme of things I got pretty lucky this week.

I had to lose someone dear to me but was able to give him release from a painful life. My brother survived surgery is on the mend. We got to celebrate friends starting a new life together.


                                       When it all goes crazy, just remember I love you.

Till next time...COTTON