For Will’s birthday this year – we got him a gerbil… he has been wanting a small pet like that for years... we finally agreed.. He asked if Hank could get one too, so as you may remember, two gerbils came into our house. Nut and Goldie… The boys were in heaven! They feed and care for these two little girls every day… they hold them, watch and play with them with so much delight…their devotion and attention never faded… (You know sometimes a novelty can wear off… not in this case)
Well, I went out of town for business this past week, the morning (Wednesday) I left (4am) – Jeff and the boys woke up to hear Maggie barking and running around – now imagine Jeff chasing Maggie, with the boys in tow – all chasing Goldie – Hank’s gerbil, who escaped her cage… Well – they found her in time and all is well – but imagine waking up to that chaos in the wee hours of the morning... not fun I am sure! I missed the drama as I was enjoying the pleasure of airport security!
So today before my second leg of the trip home, I get an emotional call from home. Will’s gerbil, Nut had died… The boys were playing w. the gerbils and she got loose and ran under the sofa… found a piece of long forgotten popcorn and apparently choked on it… Jeff was out in the yard and the boys came running out in a panic with a lifeless, bleeding gerbil in Hank’s hands… They were crying and screaming, Daddy Help us… Daddy helps us, Nut is dying! What is a dad to do?
As Jeff tells it... as the boys are crying “Nut don’t die, Nut don’t die, Live! Live… (Jeff says you can hear the desperation in their little voices, trying to plead for the life of their beloved pet!) Jeff attempts to Heimlich the poor girl – she eventually gave up the ghost and died in his hands… Now some of you may think, oh Geez... it’s just a rodent… but this little rodent was loved by two little boys… with all their little hearts and they were devasted... Hank began to blame himself - maybe he squeezed her too hard when he picked her up from the carpet, what if this, what if that… all these little thoughts running through their little broken hearted minds… Now after a long time of crying and being sad, the wonderful Dad carefully washes the passed away family pet – and gently places him in a small box covered up by a paper towel. A burial ceremony is planned for the evening when Mom gets home…
I am on the plane, we are ready to take off and I have my two little boys on the phone crying about their loss… I am feeling their emotions, pleading with them that things will be ok and I will be home soon… people around me on the plane started to feel the emotion too… a collective sigh and “ahh..” was heard all around me…
So after dinner, we dig a hole in the front yard, picked out by Will – and we begin the ceremony... music and all... the boys are so upset, crying their little eyes out... Mom and Dad are tearing up – This pain is VERY real to these little guys… it is so so so hard when your child is hurting and there is nothing you can do to fix it.. Just hug and love them… Death brings on so many questions and so many memories of past losses… it is an emotional time. We decided not to replace Nut with a new gerbil until after our 10 day trip to Colorado next week.
As I watch my husband dig a grave, gently take care of this beloved pet for these two little boys and indulge their need for a real funeral… as I hear him tell the story and get choked up - At this exact moment I could not love him any more than I do right now -… What an amazing man – to love his boys so much – now that is what is sexy to a wife and mother – a REAL dad… I am thankful everyday for the life God has blessed me with.. The good and the not so good… and I am thankful for everyday I am still here…
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