This past Monday, one of my friends gave her Golden Retriever, Emmy, the most precious gift she could give.  She sent Emmy to the Rainbow Bridge on Monday afternoon.   Emmy suffered from a rare form of cancer, one that attacked her through her blood.   For a few short weeks, it seemed that she was getting better, that she would beat this demon that hurts so many of our Golden babies. 

Her owner noticed that Emmy’s leg was swelling, the leg where the lump was first found, and removed.   And Emmy was moving a little more slowly, and groaning when she moved, and it was obvious that our prayers for her recovery were not going to be answered with anything but a “no.” 

Her eyes told the story, according to Martha.  As much as Emmy tried to be herself, her eyes showed her pain.  And that pain was more than Martha and her husband could take, more than they could subject Emmy to.   So the difficult decision was made, to send her home, to end her pain, to let her run free at the Bridge.  

I never got to meet her in person.  What I know of Emmy was learned through her mom, who told us stories of Emmy, and her baby brain brother Gambler.   She was a sweetie, she won my heart through all the stories, and her passing has saddened me and many others.  

I look at Max, and sometimes I catch my breath, and worry that this will be his fate.  And selfishly, I pray that I never have to make this decision, that I never have to know the pain that Martha is feeling now.  I will not have the strength to send him from me.   Bear and I have talked of this, and I know he will make the decision, should we ever have to, that he will hold us both, before and after, and be the strong one.  I will simply fall to pieces. 

I dread that day.