A Great Loss...

this may shane and i experienced the loss of our beloved tristan. to us she was more than just a pet, she was a child, a best friend and a great companion. i adopted tristan in 2001 during a time in which all my friends had moved away, i was in a job that i hated and shane and i were trying to seek clarity in our relationship by spending time apart. while only the Father can truly fill the emptiness we as humans can feel, tristan was a great earthly companion for me in a time of confusion.

since then tristan was the love of our lives. always greeting us with the wag of her stubby tail and an attempt to hug us with her paw. she obtained some type of infection in her left leg that caused it to swell and eventually caused the leg to "die". the vets worked so hard to try and find out what exactly was causing her to swell but to no avail. after putting our girl through many, many tests we looked into her eyes one morning and saw that our baby girl was gone and that what was left was a miserable animal. shane made the decision it was time to put her down. he was so amazing. it was so hard for him, not only because of the loss he was feeling but because he knew the devastation and pain i was feeling. i think the hardest part of her death for me was the finality of it all. with most loved ones, i know they are going to see God, but with tristan, i won't see her in heaven. that is one of the hardest parts of scripture for me. but God is sovereign and his plan is perfect. after it was all over, shane was the rock i held onto. he was there for every tear, every sob, every moment of depression i felt. i think i honestly fell more deeply in love with this man the Father blessed me with.

in the time that tristan has been gone it has gotten easier to remember the good times we had with her and the little things about her personality that we loved. even still one of us will randomly say we miss her, or a tear or two will fall at the thought of one of our memories of her. as more time passes i know that while i will never forget her, there will be a lot more smiles and a lot less tears.

so sleep in peace baby girl...where ever you are. mommy loves you!!