Today I said goodbye to my sweet Polly. This was a day I knew was coming for some time, but still, making that decision to call the vet was terribly hard. I kept second-guessing myself all the while, thinking, "I can cancel the appointment" or "I can stop this and take her home", but truly, I knew I couldn't. She had been deteriorating quite quickly over the last few weeks, and in my heart, I knew that it was unfair to let her get any worse.
My first goal, last year, was for her to make it through the holidays. When we made that, my next goal was for her to make it to the warm weather, because she loved being outside so much. Last Sunday, on a beautiful, warm, sunny day, she and I went to a local park, just the two of us, where we walked along the river. She had a great time sniffing everything along the trail. When we came home, Alice joined us in the backyard, where we relaxed and soaked up some sunshine.
To the end, she remained cheerful, and sweet, and loving. I held her and kissed her, told her I loved her and let her go. I miss her presence in the house, the happy energy she brought to everything she did, the way she just melted into me when she cuddled up for affection.
My beautiful girl, I was so lucky to have you in my life. You gave me love and joy and taught me about patience and compassion. I love you.
