Ups and Downs

It has been a rough few weeks around here. We had to put our beloved cat to sleep. His name was Jack. He was about 17 years old. We got him from the shelter when he was about 2 years old so he has been a part of our lives for a large portion of my children’s lives. He was a good cat. He was definitely a little unusual. He didn’t realize human laps were for sitting on for at least 14 years. Jack couldn’t jump very well so I never had to worry about him being on counters or the kitchen table. He didn’t realize the outdoors was a viable option and basically ignored its existence. He wasn’t the brightest cat but he sure did love his people and his people loved him.

We obviously knew he was getting older and we had taken him to the vet recently because of some concerns about his health but we all, including the vet, thought he had a little more time. Then, one afternoon, he had a seizure and didn’t recover properly. We took him to the vet where they did a quality of life exam and we all agreed it was time. The vet told us we were giving Jack something many of his patients didn’t get; a peaceful end without too much intervention.

It was and is hard for my family. Pets add so much to our lives and then they tear our hearts out when they go.

I am already hearing murmerings from my husband and kids about the possibility of a new cat. They say they can’t replace Jack but the house feels so empty. We shall see.

On the brighter side, I found a new job in our new location. I will be working at a library again. It is very similar to the job I was doing before except I also will work at the children’s desk one shift a week. I started last week and everyone seems very nice. I just have to manage to keep straight all the differences in policy between the two libraries! The library is having a huge book sale next week and I work all the days the sale is going on. I need to visit every day and buy lots of books. Right? I deserve a little treat.

Life is full of so many ups and downs. I tend to always be braced for disaster which isn’t necessarily the healthiest way to approach life. I am working on taking each day as it comes because somehow we always get through the disasters and worrying about them before they happen doesn’t help any of us.