he's been a good dog.

I was five years old when Shiloh came home. We were still living in Goshen.
I hadn't had many good experiences with dogs in my early childhood, so I wasn't an instant fan of the one that was going to live with us. I warmed up to him after a few months, but I never really liked him.

While I was in my early teens, Shiloh would regularly get into my purses and strew their contents throughout the house. I often ranted about how much I hated him.

As I spent more time home alone, I ended up talking to Shiloh about everything. He's always been around.

Until this morning. We decided last Wednesday that the only logical choice would be to put Shiloh to sleep.
He's been deteriorating pretty rapidly for the past couple years. A series of ear infections left him deaf, he was going blind, arthritis in his hips made the stairs in our house difficult, and for the past six months Shiloh has become confused and disoriented. We're leaving tomorrow for a week-long vacation, and the cost of the vaccinations and boarding that would be required wouldn't be worth it. Waiting until August, when I leave for school, wouldn't have been a good idea, so Dad took him in today.

Logic doesn't make it easy, but I'm getting through it. I was a little upset this morning when I left the house. I always say "bye Shiloh" as I walk out the door, and when I realized that I couldn't do that anymore, I was disappointed. Our routines will change, our house will be quieter, our breathing might be easier, and our sleep will be uninterrupted. It was the right choice.

I'm working at my church this week and today is the first day of summer discipleship groups. Three of the girls from the senior high group came in just before 2:00, carrying Starbucks coffee and a box. "We brought something for you." Well, I was expecting the Starbucks, but the contents of the box were a surprise. Last night, the girls had found a kitten outside Ricker's. It was in a cardboard box. The box was marked "FREE." The word was written in lipstick. Sketchy, right? Well, that's the kitten's name. Her voice is hoarse, her teeth and claws are sharp, and she's she was sleeping quietly until the girls came back.

Okay, this is how I'm ending this one. I have to go run an errand.