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Nov 26, 19960

Perspective

This afternoon Lauren came in after school announcing that Mimi was not her friend anymore. I had to dig to get the problem out of her--the problem, apparently, is this:

Mimi (who is 3 years older than Lauren, at 12) believes Raffi should have been put to sleep.

Raffi is not in pain--he doesn't have sensation beyond the break in his spine. Until we can afford to buy him a cart, he's currently walked with his back half being held up by a towel. (He doesn't walk, he runs so fast he has to be held back on a lead for us to keep up with him!)

It took some convincing to get Lauren to promise to talk to Mimi tomorrow, or better yet, bring Raffi out to let HIM show her how happy he is.

Sometimes it seems to me that certain people have their wires crossed. It comes back to that euthanasia phrase so often used, as in, "put him out of his misery..." really meaning "I wish you'd put him out of my misery." How often do people see something that makes them uncomfortable and respond emotionally with a death sentence? I'm not talking about a deaf, blind, arthritic 20 year old dog who's spending every minute in pain. I'm talking about a brave, young basenji that's 100% eager and vital, who can not feel his hind legs. He doesn't let that stop him.

A friend of mine teaches troubled teens; Raffi's courage is such that it keeps her going.

How do I teach my children a reverence for life if I consider a life is disposable when it is inconvenient to me?

There are mitigating circumstances--like Raffi's--where one needs to look closer and see who's really in pain. In this case, pain is in the eye of the beholder. He does not walk in pain. Raffi truly walks in beauty.