Oh, Vida. *hugs* I'm so sorry to hear about Stormie. I have a dog myself, so I understand how much you loved her...how much you still do. I have never lost a pet, but I have known several dogs that did pass away. :(

I know that it hurts right now, so go ahead and cry, be sad, write about it in your diary, tell your friends and family how you feel. I know this probably won't be much comfort, but remember that she had a long life with people who loved her, and now she is out of her pain.

And here is a lovely little piece of verse (I didn't come up with it, it's from a Disney song) that might be comforting:

Goodbye may seem forever

Farewell is like the end

But in my heart's a memory

And there you'll always be.

*hugs*

Andy P. C. says vfhg. Vida friendly hug. Andy cares too!

~Wolfgirl67 signing off.

I am bumping this up to the top, so you can receive as much comfort as possible. I hope that this thread, just for once, will do what it's told to.

Andy P. C. says rwhz.

~Wolfgirl67 signing off.

Oh, Vida!!!! I know, it hurts. I just went through the same thing. (My favorite dog Sally and my cat Fluffy died recently, but this is Vida's comfort thread.) *gives comfort*

Oh man, Vida, I'm really sorry for you.  You must have had some great times with Stormie, and I bet you can look back on your time with her and know it was great.  So remember to think about the good things about Stormie, remember all the wonderful times you had with her, because I bet you had tons of them.  

Well, I've never lost a pet, because I've never had a pet, but I do raise guide dogs.  I've raised *counts* three and I'm on my fourth.  And we have to give them up at about 16 months.  So yes, it's hard.  I understand losing a friend like that.  You've had so much fun, so many good times with the dog, and then *poof* they're gone.  It's hard.  But, as the old saying goes, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.  Can you imagine a life without Stormie?  You've had such a wonderful life with her.  It was her time to go, and that's hard.  You're going to feel sad for a while, I know, and it's not going to be the best time.  But I guess my point is, I think at least for me, pain at the end would be worth such a wonderful life.  Don't be afraid to cry and be sad, because that's only natural.  In fact, sometimes I think crying really helps me get things out when I'm sad.  

Kudos to the Admin!  That was wonderful.  I totally agree with what you said, and I think those words are perfect.  I wish you happiness and comfort during your dark time of sadness, Vida, and I hope you'll be able to look back fondly on your time with Stormie.  The pain will dull, don't worry, though it seems like it never will.  I give you my condolences and may Stormie rest in peace.

~Leaf 

I'm so sorry about Stormie, Vida. When my neighbor ran over my cat, I was the saddest person in the world for a few days. So just cry and let it out for as long as you need, and when you ready, remember her by the good memories, not the bad. I'm really sorry.

I'm so so so so sorry Vida! I've lost a few of my pets before, and it was horrible. I'm really sorry for your loss.

Oh, Vida, I understand completely.  I have lost three dogs, but I was under the age of eight for all of them so I don't remember everything exactly, but I know how much you loved them.  I have an older dog who has a tumor right now :-(

I'm very very sorry :'(

I'm so sorry for your loss! I know how it must feel! I felt incredibly sad to lose my baby snake; it must be aweful to lose a dog!!! I have a cat, and I love him so much I couldn't bear to lose him! Yet again, I'm sorry! I suggest you cry, tell others, and just think about what your dog did that made you laugh, cry and feel happy. Best of luck and I will be thinking about you and your family and deceased pet tonight.

~*GingerWillow*~

Vida, I am so sorry. I know that I would be crushed if my dog died; you must really be hurting. *hugs* We've had to give away a lot of animals in my family and a lot of them have passed on as well, and I know that it is so, so hard at first. You can't imagine not having them there and you feel so devastated. But the Admin is right; soon you'll be thinking of all the great memories you've made with Stormie and you'll be happy that you were able to spend such a nice amount time together. Remember, hard times like this pass and they make you a stronger person. *hugs*  

Grieving is Ok, of course - you can't help that. And believe it or not, it'll stop hurting so much with time; you'll be happier when you think of her, because you'll remember that she was loved and that she had a much happier life than the vast majority of dogs.

One of the things that helped me when my last hammy died is that we actually got another the same day. That's not the best idea for everyone, but working to make someone else - or something else - happier or better is always an excellent remedy for grief. It's tempting to sit in a self-absorbed world of sadness, but if you force yourself out and help someone else, you will begin to heal.

Vida, I'm very sorry you lost your dog.  I have six dogs right now.  I remember two dogs that I lost.  One had a very bad stomach tumor and we had to put him down.  The other was hit by a car at night and I cried for days!  I truly understand how you feel.

EVERYONE,

Thank you soooooooooooo very much for the comfort! I love and miss Stormie!!!! I really didn't have any GOOD memories with her because she was so old. She was already 5 when I was born... she passed when I was (AM) 10 ( 11 JANUARY 7TH)!!!!!

Thanks guys!