animals can grieve, too

Bob,

 What you described is real grief. 

We human types get so fat headed about our superior place at the Right Hand of God, that we fail to notice how much honest feelings animals have for one another. 

When my neighbor's elder dog died, the young dog howled for days.  He truly grieved.  When my sister-in-law's first horse died and left Cathy's horse alone, she moped for weeks until we took her to our daughter's and put her in with three other horses. 

A story that stands out in my memory is the supposed true story of a fellow who noticed a gathering of frogs in a pond.  They had gathered around one of their fellow frogs and were making little chirping sounds.  Then they gathered in a group around the frog and moved it to a distant secluded part of the pond.  The frog was dead, and his fellow frogs appeared to be giving him a send off. 

Grieving is a normal part of life.  When my first baby died at birth, I found myself alone at our apartment after a day that I would never forget.  My heart was broken.  I couldn't do a thing for my wife, as she lay grieving in the hospital recovering from a C Section, and I could do nothing to dull that stark vivid image of my poor dead little daughter Lori Ann. 

I threw myself on the bed and suddenly realized that as much as I wanted to, I could not cry.  I'd been raised to the words, "Big boys don't cry", and "Be a brave boy and never show your feelings." 

That night I decided that I was going to learn to cry.  And I did.  In fact I did such a good job that today I can cry over the silliest of emotions. 

So grieve, my friend.  It will do your entire Being good. 

 

Carl Jarvis

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Bob Hachey

To: 'Carl Jarvis'

Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 5:39 PM

Subject: RE: [acb-l] Fw: PCB A tale of perhaps not soreasonable anaccommodation

Hi Carl,

Thanks for the kind words.

WE also have a cat; his name is Dickens. Dickens has been acting strangely today. You know, I think he knows some of what's going on. During the afternoon when he normally sleeps rather soundly, he kept walking around. Donna came hoem early from work and when she gets home, Dickens usually wants her to get out his favorite toy. But today he didn't go near the closet where it's kept, He kept crying a very sad sounding cry and walking around and sort of ignored donna. I'd swear that Dickens misses his big brother.

Bob

 

From: Carl Jarvis [mailto:carjar82@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 5:41 PM
To: Bob Hachey
Subject: Re: [acb-l] Fw: PCB A tale of perhaps not soreasonable anaccommodation

 

Bob,

Very sorry to hear the news concerning your dog.  It's hard for some folks to understand that these  furry creatures are true friends in the finest sense of the word. 

As a boy, dogs were my choice of companions.  Of course in my post puberty, girls replaced dogs.  But I never thought of cats as more than mousers.  That is until Winston, the Wonder Cat clambered onto our deck from the deep, dark Olympic Forest. 

What a little friend he is.  Who would have believed that cats are as aware of just how to behave in order to get us to do what they want. 

So now I'm a cat lover as well as a dog lover.  But I still like women best. 

 

Carl Jarvis

----- Original Message -----

From: Bob Hachey

To: acb-l@acb.org

Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 12:58 PM

Subject: Re: [acb-l] Fw: PCB A tale of perhaps not soreasonable anaccommodation

 

Hi Lynn and all,
Have you reached out to Jeanette? I've been very busy since our Bay State
convention ended on Sunday. I just got done installing a new computer and
this morning, I was shocked to find my guide dog Xane doing very poorly.
I tried to get him to the vet, but he collapsed and passed away at our front
door. One of the ways I deal wihth grief is to try to keep busy. I'll be
reaching out to Jeanette by end of day tomorrow. I'd like us to try
structured negotiation in this case if that is still possible.
IF you've reached out, please let me know off list how it went.
bhachey@verizon.net.
Bob Hachey


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