Saying Goodbye

Today was a bittersweet day. One of the good things that happened was that the wife and I recieved our certification for international adoption. The more bitter part was that, although we placed our dog with what seemed like a loving couple, it was sooooo hard to let him go, so hard to say goodbye. My heart's a little heavy. We got our Jack Russell Terrier right when he was born and we've had him for 5 years. Getting him was one of the first big decisions that the wife and I made as a married couple. Man...

I know it's not all that comparable but being in the process of adoption, and having to be the one to give part of our family away, kind of helped me understand a little of what the parents of our son (whom we're adopting) must feel. As my wife said, "Giving up a child, a human for adoption is either the most selfish thing you can do or the most selfless." That seems quite true. And though we did not entrust a human to others today, we did entrust part of our family to them. It's hard saying goodbye, but it was just something we had to do.

Another thing this made me realize is that for some, their animals are the closest beings to them. When they lose a pet or must relinquish it, it must be so devastating to them. I have learned from this experience to take that more seriously and to be more pastoral. Sometimes we just don't have eyes to see, ears to hear or minds to understand until we go through it. Such is the way of life, I guess. We love you Gus and we'll miss you buddy!!!