Lots of sadness at our house today as we had to have our beloved dog Cleo put to sleep.  She began having seizures that doctors and medicine were unable to control.  We have shed lots of tears.

Cleo was such a gift from God.  She came at a time when I was struggling intensely with depression.  God used her to make me laugh and bring me out of the darkness.  Thank you God for giving her to us.

She was so low maintenance.  Food. Water. Walk. Snuggling.  But especially the snuggling.  She preferred this over everything else.  She was a real-live stuffed animal.

And yes, I became “that person”, the one I always used to judge, who treats their dog like a baby.  I regret that I never did get a bike trailer for her.  She would have loved it, and so would have I.  And it would have fit perfectly in Ojai.

Christy has never really been that into dogs.  Oh, but she was into Cleo.  They had a very special bond that was surprising to all of us.  In many ways Cleo was “Mama’s Dog.”

The house seems empty right now.  And quieter.  She snored so loud we made her sleep in the hall at night in her own bed with our doors closed.  I keep looking for her in that corner.

It is the end of a chapter in the life of our family.  Tomorrow begins a new chapter.  Right now it hurts.  But we look forward to the new thing God has in store.  He is good.

Cleo is the stuffed-animal on the right.

Cleo waits for Christy to come home.