Sorrow

Do animals feel sorrow? I think this answers that question.

Ms Madeleine Terry passed away this past week after a short illness. I say short only in the sense that at eighty seven years young, she persevered far longer than many others would. She was the family matriarch and was fortunate in that she was loved and respected by both her son and daughter. On Jan. 13th of this year, she announced that day would be her final day to come into the office and she was true to her word. With much love and attention she lived and died at home this past weekend. Her graveside funeral was Tuesday at the cemetery where she loved to work and be in the business.

I smile when I think of her relationship with Snowball.....initially she was very unhappy that her son David would even CONSIDER allowing a dog (even though he was an adorable puppy and had been abandoned on the property) stay at the cemetery saying, “Who ever heard of such a thing!” “A dog in a cemetery!”. Madeline was not a “dog person” but slowly and surely Snowball won her heart. At the end, she would smile and say, “Cathi, don’t you think he is the smartest thing?” “Why, he’s the smartest dog I’ve ever seen!” Snowball seemed to sense her frailty and would watch not to get in her way. I have a picture in my head of the two of them walking he being careful not to get too close, over and around the cemetery grounds. The day of her funeral, Snowball stayed with me in the office but was unhappy about it, he was restless all day, would pace, whine and go the the large picture window overlooking the grounds and sit staring. We share his sorrow.

Done