The Cross and Pen

One year ago today I endured the most painful moment of my life. I said goodbye to my most trusted and loyal companion, Rose, a black Lab. That moment and the pain associated with it is forever etched in my memory, a tattoo on my mind, and my very own personal nightmare from which there is no waking. I’ll spare everyone the vivid details of the vet’s office and final process. However, suffice it to say Rose was happy to the very end. Her tail wagged, she smiled, ate peanut butter and treats, and still possessed that spark of life that made her the wonderful dog she was. As I look back, I’m haunted by the memories of that day. I can still see her smiling face as she stood at the door waiting to leave the exam room and go home. Life can be cruel sometimes. All the reassurances about doing what was best for her are meaningless and void when I recall that moment.  In retrospect, I sometimes wish that I had been put down instead of her. ‘Put down.’ Now there’s a term! Two words devoid o...

Grief. A single word that conjures up sadness, empathy, and a myriad of emotions. Synonymous with sorrow, grief is universally understood regardless of language, country of origin, or culture. Like unexpectedly veering off the road at high speed, grief is a major detour from life’s somewhat normal journey. A sudden departure from the routine usually due to a traumatic event or loss, one can quickly become engulfed in the quagmire of heartache. And the journey back to even the slightest semblance of normalcy, let alone sanity,  is long and arduous. Over the past year, I’ve read many quotes about grief. Here are a select few that resonated with me:        “The reality is you will grieve forever.”         “But grief is a walk alone.”       “Grief is like a shadow. It follows me. Even on sunny days there is a spot of the darkness around me.”       “Grief is love’s shadow. The absence of presence. An unbearable weigh...