Dog...Gone

Very sad around here today. Lots of tears and lots of me trying to figure out how to make the kids, particulary Jack feel a little better. He's taking this very hard. After 3 years, we finally had to give our dog Tucker away. Never was there a better dog. Jackson and Tucker have been like two peas in a pod since day one and I knew when this day would come it would be rough. I know he feels like he's lost his best friend. He went with Jody last nite to hand him over to a wonderful elderly woman who was needing a good watch dog as well as a companion. She has lots of room for him to run , a grandson who just lost his dog , and he wont' have to stay penned up like he did here in our neighborhood. This does not console us, however. Jody said that last nite was the roughest, hardest thing he's ever been through. Jack said his goodbyes, which was good, but Jody said it took everything in him not to tell the lady we'd changed our mind. But we know, we hope, Tucker will be better off. Gosh, this is a dog and it shouldn't be this hard. Jack wanted to know if when he got grown if he could go back and get him...boy this is rough. He has spent the morning on the couch crying and looking at a picture of him and Tucker, saying how he'll never see him again. I hate to see him hurt like this. My heart is heavy this morning. I know it may sound strange to pray about this but I have prayed that God will ease this pain...yes, I think God cares even about our dog troubles.
I'm reminded that loss is as much a part of life as gain and that loving something (especially for a kid) is important even if the loss of that loved thing brings us pain. Hard life lesson...