Our pets are more than just animals. They’re our family. We treat them as one of our kids. We worry for them if they become sick. We grieve for them if they die. For someone who might live by them self, a dog or a cat or even both for that matter, can give them the peace of mind and comfort they seek.
Looking back to the time right after Mari died, I knew I couldn’t go and live back in the same house we’d been living in. Keith didn’t understand it. We’d only lived there for six months since the Army moved him from the DeKalb recruiting station to the Oak Lawn recruiting station. As a matter of fact, we actually moved on Mari’s 8th birthday.
For me it was different. I had been a stay-at-home mom for several years at this point. Mari had been my life. Her autism didn’t allow us to do many things outside the home. So now I would be going back to that same house filled with so many memories, all of them reminding me on a day in and day out basis that she was gone. No, I couldn’t go back there and live there again.
About two and a half months later we found a house to rent and moved into it. If Keith hadn’t been in the Army we may have even bought the house we liked it so much. The only problem was that once Keith went back to work, I would be in the house all by myself for hours at a time. So we got our little Jack Russell named Cody and our Cat named Bandit. No, it wasn’t the same at all but at least I had two of the most adorable companions. Both were born around the time Mari passed away. It’s almost like these were her two little gifts she sent to us as a way to always remember her.
Ah, yes, about the pets. They are a great comfort to me still after nine years. I understand about staying in the same house. I lived in the house where Joshua died for almost four years. God caused a miracle within me to see me through those years.
It’s amazing how God’s what each and everyone of us need and He sees to make sure that happens every time.