Meet sorrow with gratitude

This has been the hardest lesson and most valuable.

I had a dog, Stache. He was my happiness mentor. I learned everything from him. He was happy always. Not a little. Big time. Every day was a new adventure to be charged into.

I loved Stache. I got him or more correctly he chose me as a puppy.

Stache died tragically. Hit by a car. I thought he was invincible. He had been hit before and came back strong as ever. We called him the miracle dog. It’s cats that have nine lives. Not Stache. Hit by a car he was chasing thinking I was in it and leaving him. Broke his neck. And, my heart. Instantly, painlessly, gone.

I was crushed. Still am as I write this. However, I had learned from Stache to be happy. It was as if this was the acid test. Could I be happy and grieve? Took will power. When the grief threatens to overwhelm my happiness, I learned to celebrate with gratitude all we had had together, all I had learned, all I still had. That gratitude, that appreciation for what is rather than regret for what isn’t prevailed.

My sorrow isn’t gone. I’ve experienced many heartbreaks. They don’t just go away. You have to learn to live with them. They sneak in whenever they can. I welcome them (for without the greatness that was they wouldn’t be), say hi to them again, thank them for the reminder, and let them go.