Sundown

After a long battle with illness, our cockatiel Sunny finally is at rest. Yesterday, my wife went over to the vet hospital where Sunny had been for about a week, and spent a couple of hours with her saying goodbye. Sunny had lost a lot of weight, and was virtually skin and bones, even though she was eating. My wife said she was able to be with her and come to some peace with the decision to euthanize her. Sunny could barely hold her head up, and reacted only slightly to most stimuli (though she did seem to know my wife was there.) The vet suspected organ failure of some sort, and she has been sent to UC Davis for a thorough autopsy.

It's a sad thing, but it is one of the costs of being a pet owner. And the love we experienced both for and from these "familiars" far outweighs any cost.

A friend of ours who knew the situation told my wife that she had dreamed of Sunny, before knowing that she had been put to sleep, flying far up in the sky. I hold that thought in my heart. It seems that the reprieve of last week was enough to give us the chance to let go of her, and to give my wife the chance to be there and say goodbye. These things are no small blessings.

Godspeed Sunny Lou. Fly high and long!