Pets

I know the type of hurt that leaves, even decades into the future. My dad was a Depression-era kid. Lost his twin brother in a house fire; was bounced from relative to relative because of money issues with his parents. One of those homes had farm animals and various critters. Had a small flock of geese. One of these basically imprinted on my dad when it was born. From what I was told, that goose followed my dad around everywhere. He absolutely loved that goose as you would your dog or cat. And, especially given his circumstances of several homes over a few years, this was one creature that gave him unconditional love.

One Sunday, his goose became dinner for the family. It was life-changing for my Dad, and set his personality such that nothing, 2-legged, 4-legged, or with feathers ever went without food or help. He also rarely ever grew "close" to the pets we had as kids. The exception was this English Setter we got as a 6 week puppy. He was suppose to be the runt of the litter; turned out he'd have been the pick of the litter. That dog WAS my dad's dog! Every morning, Daddy would get up and cook breakfast for Snoopy. His truck never moved that Snoop wasn't in the back of it. I imagine everything that daddy felt for that goose when he was a kid, he poured onto Snoopy. So much so, that when Snoop died (at a ripe old age), that was pretty much it for my dad, too. It wasn't too long after that we lost him - his heart just gave out. I always will believe that he somehow linked Snoops mortality to his own. That goose of long ago, didn't just help him get through the Depression sorrows; it set him on his soul's life-path, too. Loving my cats the way I do, it breaks my heart thinking what he went through losing that goose, so soon after losing his twin brother and his parents.