As we bring 2009 to a close, I can't help but shed a tear...of happiness. I look back on the past 365 days and wonder why the bad days far outweigh the good. Perhaps I'm just focusing on the negative, but it's hard to focus on the positive when those few moments were bullied into a corner by the bad.
First, our beloved domesticated dingo passed away in March from a rare condition in which we were unaware. We got her from the Humane Society when she was 1 1/2 years old. We knew she had been abused, always skiddish when our feet came near her. Her ferocious, protective bark didn't seem to match her 35 pound frame. But, we gave her a good year, showering her with love. Almost a year to the day we had to make the very difficult decision to put her down. That morning I had taken her to the vet for a routine checkup and she was rushed to the ER at our local Veterinary Teaching Hospital. MRIs showed that she was really sick. They cut her open and discovered that all of her organs were adhered to her chest cavity. The doctors tried to fix the problem, but she kept bleeding. They called us at midnight asking for permission to cut her open again and without hesistation, I told them to stop. Our little girl had put up a tough fight for 8 hours already, and it would have been cruel to put her body through more stress.
We rushed to the hospital, bringing our lab, Kaeli, so that we could say our final goodbye. We walked in and saw her on the ground. tubes coming out of every part of her body. But, she knew we were there. "It's okay girl. You can go sleepy now." My husband and I bent over to give her a kiss and she tried to get up. Our tough little girl didn't want to leave us. When Kaeli went up to give her sister a kiss on the head, I lost it. It was time to go. Rest in peace Kandi, we will forever love and miss you.
Right after that, we got scammed by a local adoption agency. They took our $1500 application and homestudy fee and dropped us. Found out they're being investigated for other cases as well.
Then there was the failed fertility treatments. Each failure taking a little piece of my heart, my strength, away. And as if those losses weren't bad enough, 2009 decided to go out with a bang.
Shortly after Kandi passed away, we adopted another dog, KoKo - call it Canine Intervention. Kandi came to me in a dream, telling me to move on. Kaeli needed a playmate and Mom and Dad needed to ease their conscience.
KoKo is a beautiful brindle Border Collie/Irish Setter mix. No more than 35 pounds. Very thin build, with ribs protruding as if we never feed her. But beware, looks can be deceiving. This skinny ball of fur is freakishly strong.
On Friday the 13th, a couple weeks before Thanksgiving, KoKo's unimaginable puppy strength toppled me over when trying to take her for a simple walk. Amidst all of the soft grass and dirt, I fell right onto a tree stump breaking my shoulder and elbow. The ride to Urgent care late on a Friday night and then the following trip to the ER would have been highly comical if I wasn't in dire pain. Thank God for painkillers.
Almost two months later and I still have a long road to recovery. Never underestimate the power of a bony, little pet.
On top of all that, there's the bad economy. The high unemployment rate. The plotted terrorist attacks. Failed government bailouts and health-care reform being used as a political tennis match.
But good things did happen this year. We managed to sell a house. We managed to keep our jobs. We managed to grow closer as a family, working through all the trials and tribulations. Most important, we have our life, our health and our love. In the grand scheme of life, my 2009 wasn't that bad. 2010? For the love of all that is mighty...could you PLEASE not follow in last year's footsteps? My emotional and physical well-being depends on it! Thanks 2010...
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