FZ1inTX
Adminstrator
Monday morning, I had an appointment to take Michele's old cat of almost 22 yrs in to be put down. Health failing, it was the right choice but it did not make it easy. I didn't sleep much the night before and intended to get this done and head to work... after all, I'm not much of a cat person. But, this guy has been in this family almost as long as my twins! It was harder than I ever thought it would be. As she (the vet) administered the lethal injection, I lost control, feeling him going lifeless in my hands. She left me with him and said "take what ever time you need." I spent the next 15 minutes trying to compose myself. We'd already taken care of the bill and paperwork before so that I could simply exit the place. I bowed my head, took a deep breath and left after giving him one last petting and a final farewell. I went home to Michele, called out of work and we cried ourselves to sleep.
Later that night, just when we thought we could smile for the first time this dreadful day, I got a call from my sister. My Uncle who'd been very ill but was thought to be slowly recovering, had passed away at 8:15pm. I was once more thrown into a depressive spiral of heartache and despair. Sleep did not come easy... waking moment with thoughts of my Uncle... more with the experience of Mocha passing in my very hands... My Uncle again, memories surfacing over and over and wishing I'd had one last chance to see him. My brother had seen him that day, had a great visit with him. He was devastated to learn of his passing that very next morning.
Michele and I went up for the funeral that was held Friday. It was a somber and well done service with full military honors. However, it has further soured my staunch Roman Catholic upbringing. You see, the church would not allow his mass to be held within the church because his ashes were not being buried the same day. His wishes were that his ashes would be held by the family until his wife of 53 years has passed and their ashes would be buried together. The Catholic church doesn't support this and mass wasn't allowed. We had the private mass in the funeral home with a priest who wouldn't bend to the churches rules. I gave up on the Catholic church many years ago. I choose to worship God and Jesus in my own way. I've not broken the two reasons in which the bible says I cannot be accepted in Heaven so I know I'll be accepted when my days here have ended.
Life is too short folks. Call, write, visit, send a card... what ever you can do to remind your loved ones that you are thinking of them and care.... please, do it and do it often. You never know when the time comes that the chance is no longer there.
I hope you've all had a great weekend. Take care my friends.
-Eric
Later that night, just when we thought we could smile for the first time this dreadful day, I got a call from my sister. My Uncle who'd been very ill but was thought to be slowly recovering, had passed away at 8:15pm. I was once more thrown into a depressive spiral of heartache and despair. Sleep did not come easy... waking moment with thoughts of my Uncle... more with the experience of Mocha passing in my very hands... My Uncle again, memories surfacing over and over and wishing I'd had one last chance to see him. My brother had seen him that day, had a great visit with him. He was devastated to learn of his passing that very next morning.
Michele and I went up for the funeral that was held Friday. It was a somber and well done service with full military honors. However, it has further soured my staunch Roman Catholic upbringing. You see, the church would not allow his mass to be held within the church because his ashes were not being buried the same day. His wishes were that his ashes would be held by the family until his wife of 53 years has passed and their ashes would be buried together. The Catholic church doesn't support this and mass wasn't allowed. We had the private mass in the funeral home with a priest who wouldn't bend to the churches rules. I gave up on the Catholic church many years ago. I choose to worship God and Jesus in my own way. I've not broken the two reasons in which the bible says I cannot be accepted in Heaven so I know I'll be accepted when my days here have ended.
Life is too short folks. Call, write, visit, send a card... what ever you can do to remind your loved ones that you are thinking of them and care.... please, do it and do it often. You never know when the time comes that the chance is no longer there.
I hope you've all had a great weekend. Take care my friends.
-Eric
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