Zachary, My Little Man

Zachary

Mark, Zach, and I made the decision that Zach shouldn't have to stay on earth when life got too painful. In fact, though it was difficult for us to do when he seemed to be having a good day, we knew it was the right thing to do for Zachary. So, at 3pm today the 3 of us went to see Dr. Mark Stanforth.

Zach turned 15 in August and had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the Spring. He also was losing his eyesight, had arthritis in his spine and had dementia. We had made that decision to do everything we could do to keep him around as long as he was enjoying life more of the time than not. But it had come to a time when we saw that life was difficult for him and wanted the difficulty to end before it was painful for him.

Zachy came into the waiting room giving two big healthy barks. Same old Z, wanting everyone to know he'd arrived. In the treatment room, several staff came to say goodbye to him and to express their sorrow to us. He's been going there for over 15 years and they know him well.

He went very peacefully off to sleep.

I cradled him all the way home and Mark carried him in and put him on the bed so all the rest of the Hobson babies could say good bye. We always do this when one of our animal family dies. The cats and dogs are very curious but reverent around their lifeless brother or sister. I think it's important that they know what has happened to him.

We put him in his bed and then in the wooden casket Mark had made for him. His good friend (and stuffed toy) Moosey went with him. Marly went out with us as we buried him out by the pond in the grave Mark had prepared a couple of months ago.

This is always one of the worst days of anyone's life. But the love I feel and have felt for the last 15 years is swelling inside me and overtakes the hurt I feel. I'd do it all over again, even knowing where we will end up because a relationship like this is worth every tear.

Thanks, everyone, for letting me go on about my little man.

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