Dealing with death

Hi Everyone-

Last month our precious Lab died suddenly while the girls and I were in
Virginia visiting my parents. We are not really sure what happened to her. She
was almost 10 years old, which is kind of old for a Lab, but not ancient. DH
said that she stopped eating her food a couple days before she died. On the
first day he thought maybe she was just missing the girls and me, but after the
second day of not eating he made an appt. to take her to the vet, but she died
in her sleep the night before the appt. She didn't show any other sign of being
sick or hurt so we are not really sure why she died.

DH and I are absolutely heartbroken about her death. I told the girls while we
were still in Virginia that Dixie had died and that we didn't why she had died,
but that she was an old dog. They didn't seem upset about it, but ever since
then Madison continues to bring up Dixie's death. We are open with answering
her questions, but mostly she just makes statements about it.

Ten days ago I had a tonsillectomy and have been having a rough time since
then. I was in lots of pain for several days after the surgery and was in bed
almost all the time. Then just when I was starting to feel better I started
hemorrhaging one night and had to be taken to the ER where they did emergency
surgery to stop the bleeding and I was also admitted to the hospital for one
night. That second surgery and losing so much blood put me back into bed.
Needless to say I haven't been eating much *at all* because it's just been too
painful.

In the last 10 days the girls have been shuffled between relatives while I
recuperate and I'm sure the whole thing's been very confusing for them. Now we
think that Madison thinks I'm going to die because I haven't been eating and
I've been in bed for so long. Her aunt told my DH that Madison kept bringing up
Dixie's death and how Dixie stopped eating and then died. Since then we've been
trying to reassure her that I'm going to be fine, but I really don't know how
to explain Dixie's death to her and reassure her that I'm not going to die, in
a way that will make sense to her.

Since our dog died while we were gone, DH buried her before we returned so we
didn't have a funeral service for her. In hindsight I see that we should have
had a little prayer service for her after we returned from Virginia so that the
girls could have had some closure.

Any advice on how to explain all this and reassure a 4 year old would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
4 yrs. old

We lost our golden retriever last year as well as my dad and my mom is at
death's door as we write. Although my twins are a lot older (they act 4
though a lot), anyhow, they were with Janet in her last minutes. They did
loose their hamsters when they were 4 and we did have a ceremony. 4 year
olds can't figure out where the animals go - it's a great time for brining
in your religious beliefs - whatever they may be. Set up a bulletin board
with their favorite pictures to look at and everyone has a time to tell
stories - their favorite about your beloved lab. Boy, I sure know how you
feel though, no one can replace our wonderful Janet and to this day, I miss
her terribly.

We are so sorry for your loss - hopefully the memories will help heal.

Always,
Shirley and family

"Andrea" wrote in message
...
Hi Everyone-

Last month our precious Lab died suddenly while the girls and I were in
Virginia visiting my parents. We are not really sure what happened to her.
She
was almost 10 years old, which is kind of old for a Lab, but not ancient.
DH
said that she stopped eating her food a couple days before she died. On
the
first day he thought maybe she was just missing the girls and me, but
after the
second day of not eating he made an appt. to take her to the vet, but she
died
in her sleep the night before the appt. She didn't show any other sign of
being
sick or hurt so we are not really sure why she died.

DH and I are absolutely heartbroken about her death. I told the girls
while we
were still in Virginia that Dixie had died and that we didn't why she had
died,
but that she was an old dog. They didn't seem upset about it, but ever
since
then Madison continues to bring up Dixie's death. We are open with
answering
her questions, but mostly she just makes statements about it.

Ten days ago I had a tonsillectomy and have been having a rough time since
then. I was in lots of pain for several days after the surgery and was in
bed
almost all the time. Then just when I was starting to feel better I
started
hemorrhaging one night and had to be taken to the ER where they did
emergency
surgery to stop the bleeding and I was also admitted to the hospital for
one
night. That second surgery and losing so much blood put me back into bed.
Needless to say I haven't been eating much *at all* because it's just been
too
painful.

In the last 10 days the girls have been shuffled between relatives while I
recuperate and I'm sure the whole thing's been very confusing for them.
Now we
think that Madison thinks I'm going to die because I haven't been eating
and
I've been in bed for so long. Her aunt told my DH that Madison kept
bringing up
Dixie's death and how Dixie stopped eating and then died. Since then we've
been
trying to reassure her that I'm going to be fine, but I really don't know
how
to explain Dixie's death to her and reassure her that I'm not going to
die, in
a way that will make sense to her.

Since our dog died while we were gone, DH buried her before we returned so
we
didn't have a funeral service for her. In hindsight I see that we should
have
had a little prayer service for her after we returned from Virginia so
that the
girls could have had some closure.

Any advice on how to explain all this and reassure a 4 year old would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
4 yrs. old

We lost our golden retriever last year as well as my dad and my mom is at
death's door as we write. Although my twins are a lot older (they act 4
though a lot), anyhow, they were with Janet in her last minutes. They did
loose their hamsters when they were 4 and we did have a ceremony. 4 year
olds can't figure out where the animals go - it's a great time for brining
in your religious beliefs - whatever they may be. Set up a bulletin board
with their favorite pictures to look at and everyone has a time to tell
stories - their favorite about your beloved lab. Boy, I sure know how you
feel though, no one can replace our wonderful Janet and to this day, I miss
her terribly.

We are so sorry for your loss - hopefully the memories will help heal.

Always,
Shirley and family

"Andrea" wrote in message
...
Hi Everyone-

Last month our precious Lab died suddenly while the girls and I were in
Virginia visiting my parents. We are not really sure what happened to her.
She
was almost 10 years old, which is kind of old for a Lab, but not ancient.
DH
said that she stopped eating her food a couple days before she died. On
the
first day he thought maybe she was just missing the girls and me, but
after the
second day of not eating he made an appt. to take her to the vet, but she
died
in her sleep the night before the appt. She didn't show any other sign of
being
sick or hurt so we are not really sure why she died.

DH and I are absolutely heartbroken about her death. I told the girls
while we
were still in Virginia that Dixie had died and that we didn't why she had
died,
but that she was an old dog. They didn't seem upset about it, but ever
since
then Madison continues to bring up Dixie's death. We are open with
answering
her questions, but mostly she just makes statements about it.

Ten days ago I had a tonsillectomy and have been having a rough time since
then. I was in lots of pain for several days after the surgery and was in
bed
almost all the time. Then just when I was starting to feel better I
started
hemorrhaging one night and had to be taken to the ER where they did
emergency
surgery to stop the bleeding and I was also admitted to the hospital for
one
night. That second surgery and losing so much blood put me back into bed.
Needless to say I haven't been eating much *at all* because it's just been
too
painful.

In the last 10 days the girls have been shuffled between relatives while I
recuperate and I'm sure the whole thing's been very confusing for them.
Now we
think that Madison thinks I'm going to die because I haven't been eating
and
I've been in bed for so long. Her aunt told my DH that Madison kept
bringing up
Dixie's death and how Dixie stopped eating and then died. Since then we've
been
trying to reassure her that I'm going to be fine, but I really don't know
how
to explain Dixie's death to her and reassure her that I'm not going to
die, in
a way that will make sense to her.

Since our dog died while we were gone, DH buried her before we returned so
we
didn't have a funeral service for her. In hindsight I see that we should
have
had a little prayer service for her after we returned from Virginia so
that the
girls could have had some closure.

Any advice on how to explain all this and reassure a 4 year old would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
4 yrs. old

Any advice on how to explain all this and reassure a 4 year old would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
4 yrs. old

As a lover of dogs (and since we've been married 43 years, we've lost quite a
few of them over the years -- we had FOUR at once, at home, when the kids all
left home!) and of children (3 kids, 7 grandchildren) AND as a therapist -- I
was very touched by your post. My most important suggestion would be to allow
the girls to ask as many questions as they need to ask, and answer them as
often as needed (their needs, not yours), as honestly and succinctly as
possible. I'd also suggest that you remind them that Dixie was old and ill,
and that MOMMY is not old, and this is a temporary 'being sick' like when they
have a cold or a flu or something else that they can relate to ("remember when
you fell and cut yourself and it hurt for a few days and then began to get
better? that's what this is like for Mommy, it hurts, but it will get
better"). And really let them know how sad YOU and Daddy are about the loss of
Dixie, and that there are some things we don't understand, like why she died
when she did, and it's just that sometimes there really are no good answers.
As the other poster suggested, this is a good time to incorporate your own
spiritual beliefs... "I think that sometimes a higher power decides that it is
time to take a dog to heaven and although Daddy and I don't understand how that
decision is made, we can be grateful that we had Dixie for so long, and we can
do things together to celebrate her life and our memories of her." Tell them
that you need to remind them that most Mommies and Daddies live for a very long
time, and even though they get sick, they don't die. Give the girls 'markers'
of your improvement (remember, I couldn't talk yesterday, and now I can?) and
help them with future markers -- "I expect to be eating dinners again by next
weekend" and more important than anything, acknowledge the fact that your
medical problems probably scared them but that's normal, and they can ask you
or Daddy anything about it, and you will answer as truthfully as possible.
It's good to help kids begin to know that conflicting feelings are normal ("I
was scared to have my operation, but I knew it would be okay") so that they
learn to 'voice' inner conflicts (someday, they will hopefully be able to say
to you, "I want to do all the bad things the other kids are doing -- smoking
and drinking-- but there's a part of me that doesn't want to do it!). I'd be
saying "I know that all things die eventually, and part of me thinks if Dixie
was old and sick, it was time for that to happen, but parts of me still feel
sad and angry and confused, especially since we were all away when it happened
and we couldn't get to say good-bye"
I ramble...but I wish you luck.
GrandmomGwen

Any advice on how to explain all this and reassure a 4 year old would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
4 yrs. old

As a lover of dogs (and since we've been married 43 years, we've lost quite a
few of them over the years -- we had FOUR at once, at home, when the kids all
left home!) and of children (3 kids, 7 grandchildren) AND as a therapist -- I
was very touched by your post. My most important suggestion would be to allow
the girls to ask as many questions as they need to ask, and answer them as
often as needed (their needs, not yours), as honestly and succinctly as
possible. I'd also suggest that you remind them that Dixie was old and ill,
and that MOMMY is not old, and this is a temporary 'being sick' like when they
have a cold or a flu or something else that they can relate to ("remember when
you fell and cut yourself and it hurt for a few days and then began to get
better? that's what this is like for Mommy, it hurts, but it will get
better"). And really let them know how sad YOU and Daddy are about the loss of
Dixie, and that there are some things we don't understand, like why she died
when she did, and it's just that sometimes there really are no good answers.
As the other poster suggested, this is a good time to incorporate your own
spiritual beliefs... "I think that sometimes a higher power decides that it is
time to take a dog to heaven and although Daddy and I don't understand how that
decision is made, we can be grateful that we had Dixie for so long, and we can
do things together to celebrate her life and our memories of her." Tell them
that you need to remind them that most Mommies and Daddies live for a very long
time, and even though they get sick, they don't die. Give the girls 'markers'
of your improvement (remember, I couldn't talk yesterday, and now I can?) and
help them with future markers -- "I expect to be eating dinners again by next
weekend" and more important than anything, acknowledge the fact that your
medical problems probably scared them but that's normal, and they can ask you
or Daddy anything about it, and you will answer as truthfully as possible.
It's good to help kids begin to know that conflicting feelings are normal ("I
was scared to have my operation, but I knew it would be okay") so that they
learn to 'voice' inner conflicts (someday, they will hopefully be able to say
to you, "I want to do all the bad things the other kids are doing -- smoking
and drinking-- but there's a part of me that doesn't want to do it!). I'd be
saying "I know that all things die eventually, and part of me thinks if Dixie
was old and sick, it was time for that to happen, but parts of me still feel
sad and angry and confused, especially since we were all away when it happened
and we couldn't get to say good-bye"
I ramble...but I wish you luck.
GrandmomGwen

Gwen --

I just wanted to thank you for posting all of this. As our own dog is
getting on in years -- he'll be 14 next month -- I've been following this
thread closely. Our dog is actually still in excellent shape -- hikes up to
10 miles with us still -- but I still know that the day that we all dread
will come.

If you don't mind, may I ask a related question? My two are 7 years old, so
older than Andrea's kids, but I always find myself trying to dodge the
subject of our dog's ultimate inevitable death. I know that rationally the
kids know that this will happen, and sometimes they hint at the subject
("How long do dogs usually live? Can a dog live to 20? to 18? Is our
dog's mom still alive?" etc.), but I'm so afraid that if I'm completely
frank with them that the kids, who sometimes think too much about things, if
you know what I mean, will spend th next three (?) years dreading his death
instead of enjoying him. Any insights you might be willing to give would
be greatly appreciated.

Julie
Mom to Erica & Chris, 07/97


"GwenO MS" wrote in message
...

Any advice on how to explain all this and reassure a 4 year old would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
4 yrs. old

As a lover of dogs (and since we've been married 43 years, we've lost
quite a
few of them over the years -- we had FOUR at once, at home, when the kids
all
left home!) and of children (3 kids, 7 grandchildren) AND as a
therapist -- I
was very touched by your post. My most important suggestion would be to
allow
the girls to ask as many questions as they need to ask, and answer them as
often as needed (their needs, not yours), as honestly and succinctly as
possible. I'd also suggest that you remind them that Dixie was old and
ill,
and that MOMMY is not old, and this is a temporary 'being sick' like when
they
have a cold or a flu or something else that they can relate to ("remember
when
you fell and cut yourself and it hurt for a few days and then began to get
better? that's what this is like for Mommy, it hurts, but it will get
better"). And really let them know how sad YOU and Daddy are about the
loss of
Dixie, and that there are some things we don't understand, like why she
died
when she did, and it's just that sometimes there really are no good
answers.
As the other poster suggested, this is a good time to incorporate your own
spiritual beliefs... "I think that sometimes a higher power decides that
it is
time to take a dog to heaven and although Daddy and I don't understand how
that
decision is made, we can be grateful that we had Dixie for so long, and we
can
do things together to celebrate her life and our memories of her." Tell
them
that you need to remind them that most Mommies and Daddies live for a very
long
time, and even though they get sick, they don't die. Give the girls
'markers'
of your improvement (remember, I couldn't talk yesterday, and now I can?)
and
help them with future markers -- "I expect to be eating dinners again by
next
weekend" and more important than anything, acknowledge the fact that your
medical problems probably scared them but that's normal, and they can ask
you
or Daddy anything about it, and you will answer as truthfully as possible.
It's good to help kids begin to know that conflicting feelings are normal
("I
was scared to have my operation, but I knew it would be okay") so that
they
learn to 'voice' inner conflicts (someday, they will hopefully be able to
say
to you, "I want to do all the bad things the other kids are doing --
smoking
and drinking-- but there's a part of me that doesn't want to do it!). I'd
be
saying "I know that all things die eventually, and part of me thinks if
Dixie
was old and sick, it was time for that to happen, but parts of me still
feel
sad and angry and confused, especially since we were all away when it
happened
and we couldn't get to say good-bye"
I ramble...but I wish you luck.
GrandmomGwen

Gwen --

I just wanted to thank you for posting all of this. As our own dog is
getting on in years -- he'll be 14 next month -- I've been following this
thread closely. Our dog is actually still in excellent shape -- hikes up to
10 miles with us still -- but I still know that the day that we all dread
will come.

If you don't mind, may I ask a related question? My two are 7 years old, so
older than Andrea's kids, but I always find myself trying to dodge the
subject of our dog's ultimate inevitable death. I know that rationally the
kids know that this will happen, and sometimes they hint at the subject
("How long do dogs usually live? Can a dog live to 20? to 18? Is our
dog's mom still alive?" etc.), but I'm so afraid that if I'm completely
frank with them that the kids, who sometimes think too much about things, if
you know what I mean, will spend th next three (?) years dreading his death
instead of enjoying him. Any insights you might be willing to give would
be greatly appreciated.

Julie
Mom to Erica & Chris, 07/97


"GwenO MS" wrote in message
...

Any advice on how to explain all this and reassure a 4 year old would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
4 yrs. old

As a lover of dogs (and since we've been married 43 years, we've lost
quite a
few of them over the years -- we had FOUR at once, at home, when the kids
all
left home!) and of children (3 kids, 7 grandchildren) AND as a
therapist -- I
was very touched by your post. My most important suggestion would be to
allow
the girls to ask as many questions as they need to ask, and answer them as
often as needed (their needs, not yours), as honestly and succinctly as
possible. I'd also suggest that you remind them that Dixie was old and
ill,
and that MOMMY is not old, and this is a temporary 'being sick' like when
they
have a cold or a flu or something else that they can relate to ("remember
when
you fell and cut yourself and it hurt for a few days and then began to get
better? that's what this is like for Mommy, it hurts, but it will get
better"). And really let them know how sad YOU and Daddy are about the
loss of
Dixie, and that there are some things we don't understand, like why she
died
when she did, and it's just that sometimes there really are no good
answers.
As the other poster suggested, this is a good time to incorporate your own
spiritual beliefs... "I think that sometimes a higher power decides that
it is
time to take a dog to heaven and although Daddy and I don't understand how
that
decision is made, we can be grateful that we had Dixie for so long, and we
can
do things together to celebrate her life and our memories of her." Tell
them
that you need to remind them that most Mommies and Daddies live for a very
long
time, and even though they get sick, they don't die. Give the girls
'markers'
of your improvement (remember, I couldn't talk yesterday, and now I can?)
and
help them with future markers -- "I expect to be eating dinners again by
next
weekend" and more important than anything, acknowledge the fact that your
medical problems probably scared them but that's normal, and they can ask
you
or Daddy anything about it, and you will answer as truthfully as possible.
It's good to help kids begin to know that conflicting feelings are normal
("I
was scared to have my operation, but I knew it would be okay") so that
they
learn to 'voice' inner conflicts (someday, they will hopefully be able to
say
to you, "I want to do all the bad things the other kids are doing --
smoking
and drinking-- but there's a part of me that doesn't want to do it!). I'd
be
saying "I know that all things die eventually, and part of me thinks if
Dixie
was old and sick, it was time for that to happen, but parts of me still
feel
sad and angry and confused, especially since we were all away when it
happened
and we couldn't get to say good-bye"
I ramble...but I wish you luck.
GrandmomGwen

Andrea --

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. That's such a difficult thing to go
through.

I hope your throat is feeling better.

Julie


"Andrea" wrote in message
...
Hi Everyone-

Last month our precious Lab died suddenly while the girls and I were in
Virginia visiting my parents. We are not really sure what happened to her.
She
was almost 10 years old, which is kind of old for a Lab, but not ancient.
DH
said that she stopped eating her food a couple days before she died. On
the
first day he thought maybe she was just missing the girls and me, but
after the
second day of not eating he made an appt. to take her to the vet, but she
died
in her sleep the night before the appt. She didn't show any other sign of
being
sick or hurt so we are not really sure why she died.

DH and I are absolutely heartbroken about her death. I told the girls
while we
were still in Virginia that Dixie had died and that we didn't why she had
died,
but that she was an old dog. They didn't seem upset about it, but ever
since
then Madison continues to bring up Dixie's death. We are open with
answering
her questions, but mostly she just makes statements about it.

Ten days ago I had a tonsillectomy and have been having a rough time since
then. I was in lots of pain for several days after the surgery and was in
bed
almost all the time. Then just when I was starting to feel better I
started
hemorrhaging one night and had to be taken to the ER where they did
emergency
surgery to stop the bleeding and I was also admitted to the hospital for
one
night. That second surgery and losing so much blood put me back into bed.
Needless to say I haven't been eating much *at all* because it's just been
too
painful.

In the last 10 days the girls have been shuffled between relatives while I
recuperate and I'm sure the whole thing's been very confusing for them.
Now we
think that Madison thinks I'm going to die because I haven't been eating
and
I've been in bed for so long. Her aunt told my DH that Madison kept
bringing up
Dixie's death and how Dixie stopped eating and then died. Since then we've
been
trying to reassure her that I'm going to be fine, but I really don't know
how
to explain Dixie's death to her and reassure her that I'm not going to
die, in
a way that will make sense to her.

Since our dog died while we were gone, DH buried her before we returned so
we
didn't have a funeral service for her. In hindsight I see that we should
have
had a little prayer service for her after we returned from Virginia so
that the
girls could have had some closure.

Any advice on how to explain all this and reassure a 4 year old would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
4 yrs. old

Andrea --

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. That's such a difficult thing to go
through.

I hope your throat is feeling better.

Julie


"Andrea" wrote in message
...
Hi Everyone-

Last month our precious Lab died suddenly while the girls and I were in
Virginia visiting my parents. We are not really sure what happened to her.
She
was almost 10 years old, which is kind of old for a Lab, but not ancient.
DH
said that she stopped eating her food a couple days before she died. On
the
first day he thought maybe she was just missing the girls and me, but
after the
second day of not eating he made an appt. to take her to the vet, but she
died
in her sleep the night before the appt. She didn't show any other sign of
being
sick or hurt so we are not really sure why she died.

DH and I are absolutely heartbroken about her death. I told the girls
while we
were still in Virginia that Dixie had died and that we didn't why she had
died,
but that she was an old dog. They didn't seem upset about it, but ever
since
then Madison continues to bring up Dixie's death. We are open with
answering
her questions, but mostly she just makes statements about it.

Ten days ago I had a tonsillectomy and have been having a rough time since
then. I was in lots of pain for several days after the surgery and was in
bed
almost all the time. Then just when I was starting to feel better I
started
hemorrhaging one night and had to be taken to the ER where they did
emergency
surgery to stop the bleeding and I was also admitted to the hospital for
one
night. That second surgery and losing so much blood put me back into bed.
Needless to say I haven't been eating much *at all* because it's just been
too
painful.

In the last 10 days the girls have been shuffled between relatives while I
recuperate and I'm sure the whole thing's been very confusing for them.
Now we
think that Madison thinks I'm going to die because I haven't been eating
and
I've been in bed for so long. Her aunt told my DH that Madison kept
bringing up
Dixie's death and how Dixie stopped eating and then died. Since then we've
been
trying to reassure her that I'm going to be fine, but I really don't know
how
to explain Dixie's death to her and reassure her that I'm not going to
die, in
a way that will make sense to her.

Since our dog died while we were gone, DH buried her before we returned so
we
didn't have a funeral service for her. In hindsight I see that we should
have
had a little prayer service for her after we returned from Virginia so
that the
girls could have had some closure.

Any advice on how to explain all this and reassure a 4 year old would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
4 yrs. old

I know that rationally the
kids know that this will happen, and sometimes they hint at the subject
("How long do dogs usually live? Can a dog live to 20? to 18? Is our
dog's mom still alive?" etc.), but I'm so afraid that if I'm completely
frank with them that the kids, who sometimes think too much about things, if
you know what I mean, will spend th next three (?) years dreading his death
instead of enjoying him. Any insights you might be willing to give would
be greatly appreciated.


Julie, I believe that it is important to answer their questions -- and the
answers don't have to be the DEFINITIVE ones that you or I would want, but
honest ones. "How long do dogs usually live? Dogs like ours sometimes live to
be about 14, but I'm not sure. That's why we try to keep him healthy as we
can, and enjoy him as much as we can." I can only tell you what I'd be saying
-- "I wish I knew just how long anyone or anything would live, sometimes, but
then I'd be thinking about it like a birthday or holiday, counting down the
days, and I don't want to live like that." and "It's okay to sometimes think
about our dog dying, or grandma or grandpa, but I think it's good to think more
about the fun and good stuff... I think about losing our dog, and I know I'll
be sad, but I don't have to be sad now..." I don't think you ever want to tell
them they shouldn't think about things, because then they WILL, but they'll
learn to not tell you. If they seem to dwell on something, "push at it" to
find out why... "Why do you ask me about the dog or dying or (whatever) every
night before you go to bed?" Or..."Did something happen that makes you worry
about death?" And share your own thoughts and feelings, where appropriate --
I'd be telling 7 year olds that I sometimes think about losing people I love,
but I already have, and I know we feel really bad at first, but then the bad
feelings kind of get less, and the good memories take over. And sometimes,
when I think about someone I lost, or about losing someone -- I feel very sad,
but that feeling doesn't last forever. And most importantly to me, knowing
that I feel very sad about losses means that I have the good feelings about
that person, which is really a nice thing to have...
Hope this helps..
Grandmom Gwen