Doggone grief, pt 1: when your buddy is gone
It's been a week. A week without George and we are all very sad. While it's been enlightening watching my own (sometimes random) responses to grief, it's easier to focus on Mac, the pup left behind, to make sure he's coping. Let's back up. Undoubtedly, Mac knew George was sick before us humans with our limited sense of smell. A little over a year ago, George was diagnosed with his first of two UTI's (early symptoms of Cushing's). We finally figured out what was going on just before Easter, and late this past summer George started his slow decline. Around that time, while sitting next to George on the couch, I noticed Mac watching a sleeping George with super anxious eyes. Lemme tell you, this about killed me. By the middle of winter, however, it seemed like he couldn't care less. Mac frequently ran over George, sometimes knocking him down, tried eating George's food, and constantly stole George's new Christmas toy. Of course, George was to...