Life ~ Death ~ Life

In February, I chose to euthanize my cat "Taboo" of 14 1/2 years. She had arthritis and developed urinary issues. We tried medication and isolation, but nothing seemed to help. We ran tests to figure out the entire nature of her problems, but never were completely clear what all she was experiencing.

I held her in my arms as she died. It's a strange feeling to "plan" death. I wondered what God was thinking. After wanting a cat my whole life, I picked her up one Wednesday in Sept. l993 from the Humane Society to give her a good life. And then, nearly 15 years later, I took her on a Wednesday to the vet to give her a good death.

Life is full of choices. Some are easy. Some are hard. I choose to enjoy life, to cherish it, to bask in it. Someday I will "die" and I believe, move on to another form of life. The children asked, "Will Taboo go to heaven?" I believe she is there now, perhaps running around with our friends' and families' animals that have gone before her.

For the Christian world, this is the season of Easter...we remember the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are given the hope of life beyond our life on earth as we know it. We are given the relief of forgiveness for our sins. I am thankful for this gift. I am thankful for the cycle of Life ~ Death ~ Life. I am blessed in so many ways.

The team at the veterinary clinic sent a card about a week following Taboo's death. It said, "When a beloved cat must leave us . . . it is only to sit in God's lap." Amen.