A Grateful Goodbye

Less than an hour ago I had my beloved dog, Coco, of almost 12 years, put to sleep. It was a normal morning until about 6:30 today when she came up to me breathing differently and acting very lethargic. I took her to the vet and then the vet ER, which diagnosed a bleed around her heart, probably due to tumor. The odds of repair were low and with her age, it was time to say goodbye. I got to hold her as she took her final breath.

About a year ago, she had some issues with her back legs which ended up being age-related, but it was a good scare and one that made me realize that time was short and I needed to maximize whatever time I had left with her. One of my (mostly) daily disciplines is a gratitude list and frequently one of the items has been her. How grateful I have been to have a dog and to enjoy and learn about God through the experience. One of my prayers has been to know when it was time and to let go with gratitude. And I did. I had the time before the injection to pray and thank God for the time with her, for how much He has taught me about Himself through her, and to gratefully thank Him for all of His goodness to me through the life of my beloved Coco. What a great gift of God! How marvelous and gracious of Him to give me such a long time with her! And I've had even more time with her in the last two months since work has been entirely work from home and school is online only, due to the virus.

Saying goodbye is tough. I've already cried my eyes out this morning and will do for a while. But it is a grateful goodbye. While I hurt, my heart expresses thankfulness for the ability to experience the joy of having a great dog. God made the dog family to relate to humans in a special way. How good of a Creator He is to make such things. It hurts to let go, but He is the source and author of all creation--she was made by Him and was but a passing shadow of His beauty and loveliness. How creative He is! How delightful He is! How loud He is! How fun He is!

I am truly grateful.