Coping

Suerk and I have talked a lot lately about friends we know who are mourning the illness and loss of loved ones -- people and pets. He reminded me of a letter I read to him last summer from young Maddie Winebrenner. Here it is.

Dear everyone-

Rossall, my 14 year old dog, is being put to sleep tommorrow. He had bone cancer, one good leg, lime disease, authritus, and mental issues. I feel really bad and he has been with me ever since I was born and before that. I also now have a 19 week old puppy named Lucy. People I go to school with, if you know and love rossall wear black tommorrow to be respectful of this...I will never smile my awesome maddie smile until I feel I could move on which could be a while...Rossall will allways be in our hearts if you had met him. He was a strange, but good dog...and I love him...


Much love,

maddie