Last Saturday, our beloved Ginger took ill and we paid a visit to the Vet. As it turned out, the symptoms that we brought her in for were an unrelated infection, but during the visit she was diagnosed with having at least one cancerous tumor.
As you can imagine, the past two weeks have been difficult ones for our family. But recent loss of loved ones has helped us to put this time in perspective and we've chosen to stay positive, making sure there were lots of pets and cuddles and walks.
Ginger had a terrible beginning: the first five months of her life she was kept in a cage where she had to hunch over and walk on her elbows just to fit. During this time, she was also mentally and emotionally battered, though we've never quite figured out how. But when she found her place in our family, she blossomed in a way that we never anticipated or expected of her. As much as we helped Ginger to heal physically in the 6 years that we've had her, she has helped us heal emotionally tenfold. Animals have a way of healing and living in the present that is a living lesson for those of us imprisoned by past hurts, impressions and experiences.
Some may find it strange that I would write this way about a pet...a dog...an animal. I do not make it a habit to humanize my pets. In fact, I don't think you can truly appreciate an animal if you are assigning it humanistic traits...you miss the natural beauty and simplicity of their existence. But I truly believe that every living being is a blessing sent to us from God to touch our hearts and fill our souls with love and understanding. Tomorrow morning, Ginger will be having her toe amputated in an effort to eliminate the cancer. We are confident that she will come through with flying colors and will continue to bring peace, laughter and copious amounts of drool to our lives.
Thank you for your continued prayers for the health and happiness of all of our family, even the more furry members.
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