I saw the article in the link below online today. It discusses a man who decided to give his pet "A Perfect Day" as a way of saying goodbye before the dog passed away. If you cry easily or have a pet you really care about, don't click on the link until you're ready for a good cry... at least it really hit me that way.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_a...rfect_day.html
It brought back memories of having to euthenize my dog when she got cancer, and was in quite a bit of pain. I remember feeding her M&M's on the way to the Vet, as she always wanted chocolate even though it is bad for dogs. I figured what could it hurt, so she got as much on the way there as she wanted.
I think we should remember to take this in even a larger context, and remember to take the time to be with those we care about. After my grandmother died, my grandfather seemed quite lonely. He wasn't able to care for himself due to arthritis so we had to put him in an assisted living home. I decided to visit grandpa several times a week, and of course things were a bit strained on the first couple visits as we weren't sure what to talk about. Grandpa always liked Scotch, so I brought him a really nice bottle. I poured us both a bit, and as he sipped, he started telling me stories from his childhood. I learned lots of things about Grandpa. Over the weeks I was so glad to learn more about him. I could see the whole time he was telling me the stories how happy he was to be sharing them. Several months later Grandpa died, but he was happier, as was I, for the time we shared.
So... Take time to do something simple with those you love, be they feline, canine, or human!
A Nice Reminder...
