The Squirrel Chronicles

Here is a picture of our little dog. Sorry you can't see his face. I'm having a problem with the contrast on my camera.
Yesterday I told a neighbor about Buddy, and that my whole family is quite upset. Here response both shocked and sickened me: "Oh well! It was about time! You'll get over it soon!" She said this all bright and cheerful-like.
OH WELL?? ABOUT TIME?? What kind of response is THAT?
I wanted to lecture her on the value of pets. They are not mere distractions that happen to come and go in our lives. Not simply there teach children "responsibility" and provide entertainment.
Pets are our comfort, they are our teachers, they enrich us and soothe us.
They are not to be taken so lightly, and NO, I WILL NOT GET OVER IT SOON.
When I was driving home from my parent's house, contemplating all these thoughts, I began to cry in my car. You know, the uncontrollable kind of sobs..the kind when you're not sure if they will ever stop. When I was stopped at a traffic light, the car next to me honked it's horn. The driver leaned out his window and said "Are you OK?" All I could do was nod. Later, I imagined that I replied "My poor doggy died". It comforts me to think he simply would have said 'I'm sorry".