Life and Death

[Doug Pensinger]

Three weeks ago, for my birthday, my wife and kids got me a little 
yellow sided conure (a small, new world parrot).  At about 12 weeks old 
she isn't quite full grown yet.  She was hand raised, and is 
affectionate, mischievous, curious, and altogether endearing.  As I 
write this she is sitting on my shoulder, nibbling gently on my cheek. 
She'll eat from my hands, relax on her back while I scratch her neck, or 
crawl inside my shirt and stick her head out the collar.  When she's 
tired, she'll fall asleep in my hands.

But also as I write, my 13 year old dog Lucky lies in a cage at the Vet 
hospital, breathing hard from the fluid collected in her lungs, barely 
able to stand or walk, and low in spirit.  The Vet says she may have 
pneumonia - or cancer in her lungs - the xray is inconclusive.  Lucky 
has always been a doll.  We adopted her from the shelter when she was 6 
weeks old.  She and her litter mates were left on a corner in a box, and 
might have been destroyed without even getting a chance at adoption if 
we hadn't spotted them.  She always hated being left alone, and I'm 
agonizing over the idea of her staying at the clinic by herself, 
receiving the intravenous fluids and antibiotics we hope will restore 
her to health.  If she has cancer I just want to bring her home and hold 
her for a few hours before she passes.  She's been such a good dog - 
smart, affectionate, playful...

So new life and the awful specter of death.  Does one offset the other? 
 I wish I never had to find out.

Doug



_______________________________________________
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l