Dobbie Bjorkman
(?)2000(?) - June 4th, 2013
C-Dawg lost her little buddy yesterday. We had to put him down after we discovered he had a broken back. Poor little guy was dragging himself around with his front legs only.
To be honest, after a couple months of first owning them, the guinea pigs were hardly played with and really just became a nuisance to Tom and me. Then suddenly, these past few months, Claire became
best buds with Dobbie and he seemed to be out constantly for all sorts of activities!
Claire really fell in love with her little Dobs and has really gone through a myriad of emotions regarding the whole thing. She and Reese were initially pretty upset when we told them the probable outcome (cried themselves to sleep actually :( ). But after a good night's sleep, they both woke up being
totally okay with taking him to the vet and with what was most likely to come. They seemed to get that it's just what had to be done. It wasn't until the afternoon that it really hit Claire and she was completely heartbroken! (Which completely broke my heart and I cried right along with her. I was so sad that she was sincerely hurting! She even took a 2 1/2 hour nap--she doesn't nap!). It brought out a ton of great discussion throughout the day though, and I was able to lie with them in their beds rubbing their backs for a good 45 minutes as we talked about death, heaven, the resurrection, etc. It really turned out to be a very sweet and peaceful day in our home.
Last time with Dobs--going into the vet's office.
Who would have thought a guinea pig could bring so much out? Not me! But I have to say that I'm really grateful for it. I really do think animals can be so good for kids! Not only the responsibility of taking care of them and the little friendships they build, but also what it can teach them about death. (I definitely prefer for them to learn on this smaller scale.)
We still have our other guinea, Bruce, so there is more to come from this :), but our little Dobs will for sure be missed!
(If you're actually on my blog, yes, the song is meant to evoke tears as you read through this post. ;) )
5 comments:
So sad. I had never really thought about the teachings of death/resurrection before as it relates to pets but you're completely right. They can be a great teaching tool and these topics have become a bit more real to my children as well since the death of our guinea pig (we still have regular conversation about Maggie and its been two years since her passing.) I will say a little prayer of comfort tonight for Reese and Claire. Losing a pet can be so tough.
It's amazing what experiences come from the unexpected things! Thank you for sharing...and as cheesy as it sounds, so sorry for the loss! :(
That is sad! And yes, this song totally made me tear up, especially with the picture of Claire with the microphone in her hand singing to Dobbie. I too am sad for your guys' loss.
Awwww! Your kids have such tender hearts. And what a good mama for using it as a teaching moment. And the song . . . sniff sniff.
:( So sad, but I'm glad it turned into a peaceful day and good learning experience.
Post a Comment