A Minnie Celebration!

Most of you know that I had to put my little girl Minnie to sleep last week. It was VERY hard to do but I know that she is in a better place now, and that she is no longer in pain. I miss her SOOO much though.
It's really strange. I knew for a long time that I was going to have to say goodbye to her at some point, and I believe that I did my best to prepare for it. I don't think I would be as "good" as I am right now if I didn't have that time to prepare.
It's the day-to-day stuff that is really difficult. I didn't even realize how much of my day involved her until she wasn't here anymore.
I used to wake up in the morning to her on my pillow- purring her little heart out. She's meow a good morning to me, and we'd go to the kitchen to get her some breakfast. I'd get in the shower and she'd be waiting on the other side of the door, cleaning her little face from breakfast. She'd scurry right in to the bathroom because she loved the warmth the steam made.
I'd go sit at my little vanity mirror to do my make-up and she'd be right there, sitting on my lap, purring up a storm while I finished my beauty regime. The day after we put her down, I remember waking up just feeling strange. My whole day from here on out would be different, and it made me sad. We create such a relationship with these animals that we bring into our lives, and a piece of our heart surely goes with them when they pass on. There is no other word to describe the feeling then "weird". Its so weird that she isn't around anymore. She has been there when I wake up for the last 18 years!! THATS CRAZY! Its only been a week that she has been gone, but it feels like a month. As I write this, I'm not crying and I don't mean for it to sound sad at all, because I've chosen to celebrate her life...and not mourn it. Life is all about perspective and I choose to see the sunny side of this. I was blessed for 18 great years with this little angel in my life and I would not change one single thing. I'm sad from time to time and I miss her everyday, but I try to smile about it.
The vet called me today to tell me that the little clay paw-print they made for me is ready. I thought that was so sweet that they did that for their customers.
All of my friends and family have been so amazing and supportive to me and I don't know what I would do without them...
As we drove up to the vet, I got out of the car, carrying Minnie in a blanket, I stood behind Darick's truck for a minute, and with a little bit of attitude I said.. "uhhh, are you coming?", because he was taking his sweet time getting out of the car. I didn't know it then, but I figured out why he took his time when after we left the vet office, I opened my passenger side door to see a large cream-colored bear with a pink ribbon and a card. "This can be your girl now, you hold this bear whenever you miss holding Minnie." He said to me. Of course I burst out into tears, but not because I was so sad about Minnie, but because he understood what I was going to have to go through in the coming weeks. The hard part isn't going to the vet to put the animal down, its getting used to them not being around anymore. I have the best guy in the whole world. I am so thankful for him and the rest of my awesome family.

The moral of the story is that things change in life. The important part about life is that you appreciate the things that stand right in front of you while they are standing right in front of you. It's easy to take something for granted, but life has its ways of showing you what is most important. The scenery of life is always going to be changing...you just have to embrace.

XOXO