Why?

There's another difficult task many of us would have to face as parents. The time when you would have to explain death... specifically, in this instance, the death of a beloved family member... a pet! UGH!! I'd do almost anything to get out of this one!

Tiffany had a hamster. It was her first. Mr. PB Puff Ball. Oh, how she loved that little rodent! This was before the twins were born, so she had to be around three. My routine would be to wake up early, get ready, and then wake Tiff to get her ready before taking her to the sitter and heading off to BART so I could go to my job in San Francisco. On this one particular morning, horror of all HORRORS, I would find Mr. PB hard as a rock in the bottom of his cage. Uhhh...not good! Not good at all! I sort of fluffed his wood chips around him, and did everything possible to keep her from finding out. This was no easy task, as HER morning routine included jumping out of bed and heading straight for his cage. "We're running late!", I'd tell her. "I already fed PB! Hurry up! Get moving!" I think I might have thrown in a Pop Tart for distraction. Mission accomplished so far, it appeared, as I whisked her into the car. But I would fret all day! Oh, gosh...she was surely going to have an absolute breakdown! And let me tell you, NO ONE had emotional mellow dramatic melt downs the likes of my little Tiffy!

I explained to my boss that I HAD to get off early...Family emergency and all... I would BART back to the suburbs late that afternoon, and head straight to the nearest pet store. Just my luck... no hamsters! Another pet store...and then another... Sheesh, what did a desperate mother have to do to find a hamster in this town?? Finally, a hamster! Sure...she didn't look exactly like PB, but Tiff was three... I mean, really! Would she notice? I raced home. Dishwashing glove armed, I dumped Mr. PB and all of his possible death disease causing litter to the bottom of the garbage. I boiled water and poured it on the cage, water bottle, feeding dish, etc. Made a new comfy home environment and dumped Mr. PB the second into it. Off to the sitter I would go to retrieve my Tiffster. WHEW!! Disaster diverted!

Tiffany would run into the house and head straight for the cage. I held my breath... "MAMA! MAMA!", she screamed. "It's a MIRACLE! My hamster was DEAD this morning, and now he's ALIVE!!" Ummmmm...Say what??

Years later, one of Heidi's hamsters would suffer something close to the same fate (although this time I believe It may have had something to do with her precious cat, Cleopatra (?). I tried to pull the same shennanigans. Don't ask me why... I mean, it didn't work the first time, and it wouldn't work then. At this point though, many a pet had come and gone.

There would come a day though...a day I would overhear such a sweet and emotional conversation. One that transpired between Tiffany and Heidi, sisters...sisters forever. It was that conversation that would inspire this:

Why?

She asked her older sister,

"Can you please just tell me why,

my hamster, like my fish, just like my frog

all had to die?"

Her older sister took her hand

and told her not to cry,

for "Heaven must have needed them

and called them to the sky."

She asked her older sister,

"Can you please then tell me why,

Heaven didn't give me time

to tell them each 'good-bye'?"

Her older sister hugged her tight

and told her if she'd try

"A prayer will carry your farewell

to loved ones in the sky!"

She asked her older sister,

"If a prayer can say good-bye...

can I send another one

and tell our Grandpa 'hi'?"

Yes, pets would come and go in our household. Death would have to be dealt with. Including the time the exterminator assured me his "Green" method of spraying would not harm our zoo. We lost all three of the kids Iguanas that night. We would also lose Cleo soon after. And on one fateful New Years Eve, our little love puppy, Penelope. Wouldn't you know it... it would be my children who comforted me in the end. I was the sissy after all, and them, little emotional soliders. Their love and hugs would end up pulling me through. Such is the beauty of Family!!