The day before Mother's Day this year Hanna, my daughter, and I decided that we should really do something special for my sister. She isn't a mother in the traditional way. But she has always had a heart for animals. And since she rescued this little yellowish stray beside the road one day, she and her husband, Jason, have made him family. So Rush, their little boy dog, became my family too. But just before Mother's Day we found out that Rush had cancer. And as you may expect this was hard news for everyone especially for Jen and Jason. So because I love my sister so much and Hanna loves her Auntie Jen we wanted to do something to show her that we really care. Now some of you may think it strange that we gave her a Mother's Day present. We don't really think he is her actual son but when you love someone you cherish and celebrate what makes them unique and celebrate what they are passionate about. So Hanna and I took Rush outside and had him sit on my favorite green chair. We took some pictures of him being cute but not always cooperative and chose one to use for a painting. By this point his bones were starting to show. And he had to be hand fed at times. We didn't know how much time he had left with us. So that same day I sat down and made Jen my version of Rush with the words, each year, each day, each moment beside him. A couple of days ago Rush passed away very quickly. We will miss him. It's strange not having him around. But through our experience with him we will hopefully remember to cherish each moment, each day and each passing year with those we love.
