My post title says it all, have you ever had to give up something you love?
Right now I'm in the process of showing my horse Beau to prospective buyers. I know selling him is the right thing to do- we've found Gerry's perfect trail horse (mule actually) and I have my Dallas. We don't have enough time for Beau and keeping would put strain on our finances. But it is killing me.
I'd really like to hear your stories.
First, I'm sorry to hear that you're faced with this decision. I hate these decisions, especially when it comes to an animal that you love. It's not like giving up a car.
ReplyDeleteHave I ever given up something I loved? Honestly, the biggest thing that comes to mind is my divorce. I gave up the marriage not because of hate but things that were broken that would never be fixed. With that decision, I knew I would give up many other things - the friendship of my ex, a lifestyle, a family, and some friends I had for many years. But, none of those things justified staying because doing that would mean giving up my self esteem.
I also had to give up a cat that I just adopted (when single) because I became allergic. Although that sucked it doesn't quit compare.
Sue
It must be so heartbreaking, Mary Jane, to do this. I wish you were wealthy enough to be able to support all the horses.
ReplyDeleteI had to ask Tim if there is anything I've had to give up that has been hard for me, because I just can't think of anything. Tim said it was pretty hard for me to give up that heroine habit...that's what he would write if it were a man's blog.
But, of course I've had heartbreaking moments, a broken off engagement, ended love affairs, and tough times, but I can't think of anything that has been difficult to give up. That sounds so shallow, but I think it is because whenever I've given up something, it was to do something else that I was so completely excited about. Like, although I now regret the pain that I caused when I broke off my engagement way back when, it was because I was going to Australia and wanted to travel more than I wanted to get married, and that so overwhelmed the negatives of the broken engagement; and when I gave up working at the UN, it was to get married and move to Japan, which was a very exciting prospect. So, there are plenty of other moments that were sad and painful, and even regretful in hindsight, but nothing that was really emotionally wrenching. I hope I'm not jinxing myself with this answer.
Linda
I'm so sorry, Mary Jane. That must be such a difficult decision for you.
ReplyDeleteThree days before Christmas I had to have my cat Sister put to sleep. Though I'd lost other pets when I was growing up, this was the first time I'd ever had to make that decision myself. Sister had been very sick in late 2008 and we went through a lot, both emotionally and financially, to get her back to health. For months she visited the vet at least weekly and took every kind of medication and had every sort of blood test you can imagine. Once she was back on her feet and I was able to manage her care, I swore I would never put either one of us through lengthy, expensive treatment again.
When she got sick in December, it was sudden. Overnight she stopped eating which meant I couldn't give her her insulin which meant her diabetes was out of control, she stopped really moving and just slept all day, and she had some sort of growth in her abdomenal area. I knew it wasn't going to be good news when I took her to the vet but the dr. ran some tests and took an x-ray just in case. (The vet had become almost as attached to her as I was!) Though I'd told myself I wouldn't go to any heroics again, when I was faced with the possibility of her not surviving, it was really hard.
The next day, though, the test results came in and they were not good but inconclusive. There was no clear sign what was wrong with her and so no clear treatment path. She was eating only small bites of food each day and then only when I spoon fed her. She's lost 2 lbs in just a couple of days. It wasn't good.
I made the decision to put her to sleep that afternoon. At 13, I knew that even if I nursed her back to health again, she wouldn't have that many days left. It seemed like the right thing to do, though it's hard to remember a more painful decision.
I appreciate all of your comments..and Linda thanks for making me laugh out loud (giving up the heroine habit.)
ReplyDeleteI've just called the woman who will be Beau's new Mom- so I've done it, sold him. The sales contract has a buy-back clause and he is going to be boardered locally so I've tried to instill (or make choices that) will be safeguards to ensure he never, ever ends up on a truck headed to a slaughterhourse in Canada.