Post by Rhonda on Jan 27, 2006 22:24:28 GMT -5
WITHOUT EVER KNOWING
Betty King
Divorce is hard on everyone. Sometimes we forget how hard it is on animals.
Our son and his wife divorced a few years back. There were many of us in the family who were devastated, including Missy and Dena.
Missy is our Dandi Dinmont Terrier. Dena, a Rat Terrier, belonged to our son's family. Though the dogs are both terriers they looked and acted nothing alike. The only similarity was they both came from homes, where they were loved -- like just another member of the family.
Dena had been my son's dog, but when the divorce became final, he decided Dena should stay with his wife and their little girl.
They would be remaining in the family home and Dena, after all, had grown fond of my granddaughter.
In the past, when my son and his family took trips or would be gone for the day, Dena came to stay with us. Though of different breeds and personalities, she and our Missy learned to enjoy the overnight slumber parties and became fast friends.
Chasing each other around the family room couch became a routine
game, and we enjoyed Dena's stay-overs. They nearly wore a path as they chased each other -- first one way and then the other, barking and then veering out, making the chase to include the whole house. Everyone stayed out of their way, until they found a spot to recover from exhaustion -- their tongues hanging out.
They made us adults chuckle and my granddaughter giggle.
Dena often came over when the family just dropped by for a visit.
She was, after all, a member of the family and Missy looked forward to her coming.
Then the day came when the family became divided and her visits
became less frequent. Eventually, they ceased completely. Missy
knew something was missing. She knew things had changed. She
didn't have anyone to chase and she often lay looking forlorn.
Life moved on though, and eventually both my ex-daughter-in-law
and my son married new partners. They remained friends, making
my granddaughter's life less complicated. It also made life for us adults less stressful as we adjusted to the changes in the family. There was communication between we adults, and we became accustomed to new people and the absence of others.
One day, after our granddaughter's visit, we took her back to her mother's. We had not yet been to the home of my ex-daughter- in-law and her new husband. We decided to take Missy along for a ride and perhaps she would enjoy seeing her old friend Dena. When we pulled the car into the driveway and my husband took our granddaughter to the door, Dena flew out! Missy was beside herself with excitement!
There was a reunion in the driveway that day that was the equivalent of any tear-jerker reunion you ever saw. Two friends who had been torn apart for no reason of their own, had been left wondering what had happened to the other. They had been given no explanation to satisfy their understanding.
The humans in their lives had mourned losses and moved on with
a new understanding of change. However, animals mourn losses, too,
and most of the time are left to grieve without ever knowing.
Betty King
Divorce is hard on everyone. Sometimes we forget how hard it is on animals.
Our son and his wife divorced a few years back. There were many of us in the family who were devastated, including Missy and Dena.
Missy is our Dandi Dinmont Terrier. Dena, a Rat Terrier, belonged to our son's family. Though the dogs are both terriers they looked and acted nothing alike. The only similarity was they both came from homes, where they were loved -- like just another member of the family.
Dena had been my son's dog, but when the divorce became final, he decided Dena should stay with his wife and their little girl.
They would be remaining in the family home and Dena, after all, had grown fond of my granddaughter.
In the past, when my son and his family took trips or would be gone for the day, Dena came to stay with us. Though of different breeds and personalities, she and our Missy learned to enjoy the overnight slumber parties and became fast friends.
Chasing each other around the family room couch became a routine
game, and we enjoyed Dena's stay-overs. They nearly wore a path as they chased each other -- first one way and then the other, barking and then veering out, making the chase to include the whole house. Everyone stayed out of their way, until they found a spot to recover from exhaustion -- their tongues hanging out.
They made us adults chuckle and my granddaughter giggle.
Dena often came over when the family just dropped by for a visit.
She was, after all, a member of the family and Missy looked forward to her coming.
Then the day came when the family became divided and her visits
became less frequent. Eventually, they ceased completely. Missy
knew something was missing. She knew things had changed. She
didn't have anyone to chase and she often lay looking forlorn.
Life moved on though, and eventually both my ex-daughter-in-law
and my son married new partners. They remained friends, making
my granddaughter's life less complicated. It also made life for us adults less stressful as we adjusted to the changes in the family. There was communication between we adults, and we became accustomed to new people and the absence of others.
One day, after our granddaughter's visit, we took her back to her mother's. We had not yet been to the home of my ex-daughter- in-law and her new husband. We decided to take Missy along for a ride and perhaps she would enjoy seeing her old friend Dena. When we pulled the car into the driveway and my husband took our granddaughter to the door, Dena flew out! Missy was beside herself with excitement!
There was a reunion in the driveway that day that was the equivalent of any tear-jerker reunion you ever saw. Two friends who had been torn apart for no reason of their own, had been left wondering what had happened to the other. They had been given no explanation to satisfy their understanding.
The humans in their lives had mourned losses and moved on with
a new understanding of change. However, animals mourn losses, too,
and most of the time are left to grieve without ever knowing.