Another Good-bye

Also on the 22nd--Jessica called to say that Jasper was unable to walk normally and had been laying on the floor on the same spot for several hours.  She really didn't want to call us the day after my dad died, but we knew immediately that we needed to go see him.  So that afternoon, we headed up and made the decision to not have him suffer any longer.  He was getting old and had some benign tumors so we knew that it was just a matter of time.  Timing wasn't great but in some ways, it made the decision almost easier than it would have been in "normal times."  I was already sad--I couldn't really be "sadder" if that makes sense. Also, I could relief Jasper's suffering.  He was a good dog and we miss him. 

One thing that happened that night:  Jena brought in an old journal to show me something.  It was a journal that she used when she was working on her personal progress award during YWs.  She wrote or I wrote as she dictated items that required responses being put in a journal.  I don't even know why she brought that particular journal with her because she didn't use it for anything else.  Anyway, she had it opened to some entries where she wrote things she was grateful for each day in November of 2011.  One of those days she had written--I am grateful for Jasper and Mowgli.  She wanted me to see it and told me that Jasper was a good dog.  I was shocked that she would remember that she had written that and then find it in the journal to show it to me.  She is amazing.  However, it gave me a good opportunity to talk about how important it is to remember the good things when someone or some dog passes away.  Since then we have had sweet conversations about Grandpa Giberson, Grandma Hall (who died in 2020) and Jasper--because talking about good things is one way to grieve together.  I love that girl.  She can surprise me in so many moments!