It's been a rough week for dogs.

This is Sebastian. He was my Auntie Jeanne's baby boy, and we lost him today to a mysterious autoimmune condition.

After a whole lot of vet visits, tests and trips to the ER, his poor little body just couldn't fight it.

My aunt and uncle, my cousins and grandma are all deeply saddened by the loss of their sweet boy, and my heart just breaks for them. My whole life, my entire family has been just full of dogs and they have always been members of the family.

Another friend's dog, Tif's Sugar, is happily back at home where she belongs, after being missing for several incredibly sad days. This is a dog who's always looking around the corner for an open door; she's a runner, Tif says. A very kind stranger found her wandering without her tags, took her in, and gave her a home...but found the courage to bring her back to her family when he discovered who they were. Tif says he was a man who loves Boxers like Sugar especially, and had already named her, making it doubly hard for him to say goodbye to the companion he was falling in love with. This is a very, very good man, and the world needs many, many more like him.

So, it's been a rough week for dogs.

Mine are all fine, thank the deity of your choice, although Pea is starting to show her age, the thing that terrifies me the most. Stella seems to grow more every day , and get smarter and more interesting every day. Sparky is still the best little sidekick-budddy dog anyone could ever ask for. I am incredibly lucky right now, but I know that someday I will face the kind of pain and fear that Tif and now Jeanne have to deal with.

Knowing that makes me try harder to be present in every moment that I've got with them and enjoy every minute of them. My dogs are my best friends, my protectors and comforters and sidekicks and comic relief - like when Stella just now decided that licking Conner's ice cream bowl and spoon wasn't enough...so she grabbed and made off with the entire bowl. Like I said, she gets smarter every day. ;-)

Tonight, I have a massive migraine, which makes looking at this screen miserable, but I'm doing it anyway. I'm tired, and I'm sick to my stomach. I have severe pain in my hip, and pubic area and we won't even talk about the back of my neck. But I'm not going to bitch and moan tonight.

I'm counting my furry blessings tonight.

For Tif and her family, I'm relieved and happy that Sugar is home where she belongs. For Jeanne, John, Keinan, Erik and Grandma, my heart breaks right along with yours. I'm sad for all of you tonight, and I wish I could be there with you. Love you.