In Memory of Emma and Sadness for Havan

Emma Lee came to live with us the first weekend of December in 1996.  In the first weeks  we moved to our Forever Home she was assaulted by Magpies.  That was in 1997.  As time passed she brought us birds and mice as offerings.  Some she’d go ahead and eat after our appraisal, others we had to dispose of ourselves.

Once, she caught one of our pet mice.  She didn’t eat it.  She left it on the floor in front of the computer.

As time passed, 8 years, 10 years, 15 years, we wondered at her continued life.  She was a spewy cat and loved to mark any laundry that lay about.

About 3 years ago she stopped catching mice and birds and last year lost all interest.

It became a daily remark, each morning as I fed the dog and she begged for her share, I’d say aloud, “Emmy, you’re still alive.”

She was turning 19 this year.

On April 2nd she crossed over to chase birds and mice on the other side.  We buried Dear Emma beneath the yellow rose bush where she used to stalk birds and mice.

In Memory of Emma and Sadness for Havan

We had a vet appointment with Havan, my Successor Service Dog from CCI.

Havan is 10, a black lab, trained to do several tasks to help me with my physical limitations.  We were paired as a team in February 2007.

It was on the day of Emma’s passing that we learned of Havan’s lung cancer.  These are her end days and each one is a blessing.  Each wag of her tail is a gift.

Havan has always snored.  When she went in to have some tumors removed from her belly and a lipoma taken from her side, the vet listened for this snoring and of course she didn’t show it off.

Late December she began to cough and her shots were due so we took her to the vet.  She would not cough no matter what the vet did that day, so we went home.  I changed her food, hoping that would help.

On Thursday the 2nd, we took her back and had an x-ray.  We also managed to get her to cough for the doctor.  That is when we discovered a rather large tumor in her lung.

She is on a cough med that actually works pretty well.  She is able to sleep, now.  But she is not into food.  Any of you who have had a lab in their lives will tell you this is not a good sign.

I have been in a really sad place of grief since then, unable to share much about it.  Today, I have finally gathered myself enough to honor both of the four footed creatures in my life.