05/31/2025
🙏❤️🙏
"Today didn’t turn out the way we hoped—but it’s in life’s toughest moments that we often learn the deepest lessons and feel the strongest gratitude.
Buffy was supposed to have her teeth cleaned and some removed, but before going ahead, Dr. Mac had a feeling we should double-check her lab results. That gut instinct turned out to be right—Buffy was showing signs of advanced kidney failure, and putting her under anesthesia was no longer safe. After a lot of thought, we made the heartbreaking but loving decision to let her go before she began to suffer or stopped eating and drinking.
I knew I couldn’t make this decision without Robbie, and I wouldn’t dream of leaving him out of such an important moment. I picked him up from school right away. On the drive, he told me, “I want to be the one to hold her when she goes to heaven.” And he did. I told him how proud I was of him for understanding how important it is to care for aging animals and make sure they never suffer.
Then he said something I’ll never forget:
“I know how it feels not to be loved or cared for, and I don’t want any animal of mine to ever feel that way. It’s only sad for us when they go to heaven—it’s a happy day for them. Thank you for being proud of me. Are you okay, Mom?”
From the mouth of a child.
For those who don’t know, Robbie was adopted from foster care after years of severe abuse and neglect. We adopt senior dogs—our “old people,” as we lovingly call them. Robbie adores them. He once told me, “If all you guys had wanted was a baby, you would have never gotten me.” He connects with our old dogs in such a profound way because, like them, he knows what it’s like to be overlooked.
He once reminded me, “It doesn’t matter how long you have something—it matters how much you love it.” When I asked what he meant, he said, “You’ve only known me for two years, but you love me like it’s been forever.”
Yes. My son is the coolest."