My 90 year old aunt is staying with us and we didn’t tell her about Gilligan.  Honestly,  I didn’t know myself we were going to let him go until we were at the vet’s.  When we got home, we told her that we had left him there to be taken care of (which was, in a way, true.)  She told us that while we were gone, the other two dogs started howling and it was scared her.   She said she had never heard them doing that before.  Maybe, maybe not.

When I came down this morning, my thoughtful husband had already cleaned up the area in the family room where we had taken care of Gilligan.  All the towels were gone and his meds put away.  I was so grateful not to have to do that.

Finally, at the moment I let the Booger Dog go, I felt….. relief.  I had been full of anguish the past few weeks, wondering what to do.  Once the choice was made, I felt so sure, all the fear melted away.  I feel tremendouly sad, that’s true.  But I am also at peace.  I broke my own heart for him but that’s OK.  I know how to put the pieces back together.