The Good News

Today was a sad day. Frances and I took Ander the gander to the vet and decided to euthanize him. Awww.

I've known Ander for as long as I've known Frances, 17 years. She rescued Ander, Lucy, and another goose from certain death several years earlier after she saw their three sets of bright blue eyes looking out of a gunny sack at a farm auction. Ander's been an integral part of her (and my) life ever since.

Because both Frances and I are emotionally exhausted, we decided to delay cremating his body. After I arrived home from work we talked about our memories of Ander and Frances described how Lucy, Namaste, and Chiripa reacted to his lifeless body when she removed him from the car.

Then I took time for my T'ai Chi Chih practice which was a welcome and much-needed respite from our day of painful decision-making. Though we believe we chose to do the right thing for Ander (he'd been in pain for a number of months), it was a difficult decision. Simply flowing through the TCC movements helped to calm, center, and relax me.

Darn it! Change is hard. But once again T'ai Chi Chih practice helps me step lightly through difficult times and emerge with a realization that there is no single magic plan. TCC practice comforts and reminds me that we do the best that we can. And that's the good news....