Once in a while, events that happen in our lives remind us of our humanity...

They remind us that we are only human, and can not control the giving of or the taking away of life. Sure we can kill others but that's not where I am going with this.

I have had for the past 5 years, 2 ferrets, named Daisy and Noel, as pets.

For those of you who aren't familiar with them, they are small, almost rodent-like furry animals (notice I say almost, since they are NOT rodents which I detest and now is not the time to get into it.. ) an exotic pet if you will.

While I was married, my ex-husband and I wanted to adopt a dog, but our landlord would not allow it. My ex-husband did not want a cat and while we were waiting at the shelter..we saw instead these two ferrets playing in a cage, and from the moment I saw them, I loved them. So they came home with us.

When we adopted them they were 5 and 6 years old. The average lifespan of a healthy ferret is about 9 or 10 years.

So they lived, a long , happy life, as they made it and are still making it at 10 and 11. (Noel is still plugging away, she has Insulinoma and an adrenal tumor, but she is not suffering with pain, and her time is short, I know.)

But my Daisy... the poor thing. Sometime between yesterday and this afternoon, Daisy passed away. Needless to say, it was a sad day at our house.

I did not realize the depth of my fondness for her as much as today when I found her lifeless little body lying in her little hammock, and the sadness I was overcome with.

Somehow, though, I knew she was failing, as she had not been acting herself for about a week or so. Even Chris noticed when he saw her a few days ago.

I just know there is no way to prepare for death.
I think what hurt me the most about all of it is that my son was standing next to me when I found her.
To see his face and hear him cry out was so sad.
He had no concept of death, and to see her like that was shocking to him.
There was no way I could have known, to keep him safe from it. Or to prepare myself or him for it.. the shock of it all.

However, my being a Christian made it easier to set his 5 year old mind to ease when I explained to him the joys of Heaven, (mind you ferret heaven), but I told him that she would always have food, and no cage, and all the water she could ever want, and other ferrets to play with and that was all I needed to say, that and the fact that she wasn't hurting because she was with Jesus.

It seemed to be all he needed to hear, for a mere 20 minutes later, he was off playing again. Amen. ( smile)

I as an adult have to keep reminding myself that she is better off, and that there is no more pain for her. That there was nothing I could have done to change it.

I only wanted to write about it because this past week, I have all to often been reminded of my mere human existence and the sanctity of how precious life really is.

I was rear ended last week by a large SUV with Donovan in the backseat, and thankfully neither of us was hurt, but it reminded me that it could have been one second different and we could have lost our lives.
I was also reminded that I am human when Chris and I stumbled in our relationship for the first real time when we had a real fight this weekend, and it hurt us both so bad that tears were shed. It was hard for us, as we have never really fought in the year we have known each other.
The realization that we are only human was so strong with us both.

We are fine now, and stronger for it, but we are HUMAN.

That element that reminds us that we are only human and have very little control over the things that happen to us.

Yes, we can make choices, but it's not just us.... there is a higher power at work and though HE works in mysterious ways, HE does have a plan for us all and that gives me comfort one days like today when a life ends.

God Bless you, Daisy, enjoy the freedom of Ferret Heaven-- you crazy girl. I will miss you!