the late, great lady bug

THE LATE, GREAT LADY BUG, who inspired much more than just this blog entry.  she inspired so many people with her spirit, up to the very end.  she wasn't even my dog, and i still cry for this little bundle of joy.  bugaboo, we'll always love you.
 

 today i celebrate the kindness and knowledge of animals. specifically, our pets. our four legged (mostly) furry friends. the ones that come into our lives, steal our hearts and then manage to break them when they leave. i never think i'm going to be able to put the pieces back together again when i lose a pet. after having lost gigi, zola, lucy, bodhi and giacomo all i

n the last 5 years, i thought i would never be able to let another animal into my house or heart again. they ruin the carpet, they smell funny and they wreck your heart. well, carpets can (and are to) be replaced, even cats can have a bath, bandaids are cheap, and hearts heal. it takes a lot of time, but hearts heal. and with every pet, they've taken a piece of my heart with them when they've left. but every new pet has put a new piece there in its place. it's never the same heart, but then it was never meant to be in the first place. it's a cold, cruel person that can go through life unaffected by the love of an animal. i know there are people that just aren't into pets, that's something totally different. but a person that just can't seem to let one animal into their heart? that's a rare individual. and i'm not sure i want to ever meet that person. we've all met those that are jaded, because they loved a pet and lost them, and never quite got over that loss. i feel for them, honestly. it's because they let their hearts go cold, instead of grieving and then celebrating that family member. because that's what they are, they're family members. tonight i had a chance to call a friend and express my sympathies on the loss of her beloved dog. we cried, oh, we cried. but we laughed longer and louder than we cried. we laughed about my cat bodhi. how another friend was convinced i had "stolen" him and someone was really looking for him. and then she saw him. and once she saw him, she got it. NO ONE was looking for that cat. HE WAS A MESS! but he had a heart of gold. and he grew into a beautiful old statesman, a credit to his siamese breeding. he was cranky some days, but most days he was just the most loving, gentle, soft cat there ever was. all because someone showed him that they cared. i could have left him on the side of the road, just like everyone else had, but i didn't. i brought him home with me, from california. nursed him through mange, ear mites, malnutrition, dehydration, you name it. and he gave me, and everyone who came into my home love. pure, genuine LOVE. he loved like no one ever could. and i thought i would die when he crossed the rainbow bridge. but not long before that happened, blanche came into our lives, and not long after, giacomo. and then stella. and now sadie and sofie. we don't know how long they'll be with us, they're pretty senior gals themselves. but we love them, and they are glad to be with us. they found us when we were hurting, and we found them when they were hurting. it was meant to be. we healed each other. we pieced each other back together, and that's what happens. a pet comes into your life and gives you a piece of their heart. when they leave, they take a piece of yours. it's never the same heart. so, here's to LADY BUG. my heart will never be the same again. and i feel so blessed to have known you, you little bundle of kinetic energy. i'm grateful that you and your family are in my life. you're missed. now, go bug giacomo, like he always bugged you. and here's hoping my heart will never be pet free.