Visiting Relatives

The past couple of weeks I felt one spirit, which I quickly identified as my father in-law. One day my mother in-law came over in a tizzy because she got one of her renewed credit card with a rather self-explanatory letter about a "chip" being in it. I tried to explain to her the chip is for places that you just tap the credit card on the reader. As usual she had to ask her son about it and he told her the same thing.

As she was about to leave she went to put it in her pocket but couldn't feel the card. The search was on and I just told everyone to just sit down and relax a minute. Then I said, "Dad, put it back." My husband went to get something to drink and found it on the kitchen floor where they had already checked.

My husband told her things like that happens all the time around here. Then I felt that he stuck around. I would be on my tablet and it would go off or to another page or to the menu page. It frustrated me to no end. He didn't leave and was annoyed with me so he annoyed me.

Then I felt a second spirit that I could tell was annoyed with me which I quickly identified as my grandfather he was a great dog lover. My youngest dog Jethro was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his liver and a small tumor on the neck of his spleen. His stomach started to bloat about a month ago, which I knew was the beginning of the end. He would bolt out of the door to go bark at the neighbors' dog and they would run along the fence until they started just barking and growling and I would make him come in. Once inside he would get a drink and flop in his bed.

My husband was in denial, saying he looked fine and was eating good so leave him alone. Meanwhile I could feel his father and my grandfather getting more annoyed with me. I told them to be annoyed with my husband.

Saturday morning was a turning point. My husband saw the bloating and a lump and when he went over and touched Jethro's stomach, Jethro growled at him it was a low growl but a growl nonetheless. So we discussed having him put down and I made the appointment for that day. We woke up our daughter and youngest son so they could say goodbye. My oldest son was already up getting ready for work.

I crouched down to pet our oldest dog and he just put his head in my chest and rubbed his head up and down on my chest. The other dogs were restless and knew Jethro wasn't coming home even though he was only 6 1/2.

I wouldn't let my husband come in the room with me because he went through it once and was a wreck. They took Jethro in the back room to put a catheter in his leg. Then they called me into an exam room. He wanted out in the worst way thinking they were going to poke him more. The vet came in with two techs and they administered the drugs to put him to sleep as I was holding his head kissing him and telling him I loved him. Then he was gone.

The whole time I was in the room it felt over crowded even before the vet and techs came in so I know my grandfather and father in-law was in there with me. After the vet checked for a heartbeat, she left me in the room and told me to take my time to say goodbye. I balled like a baby for a good twenty minutes when the vet came in with a blanket for my knees. By this time the room felt empty. My father in-law had left and after Jethro was gone my grandfather left.

I told her I should leave because my husband was in the waiting room. She sat on the other side of Jethro and started stroking him saying what a good dog he was and I could hear her voice starting to break. I thanked her for doing this for me and she gave me a hug and said she wished she didn't have to but I made the right decision because he was so sick.

When we got home our oldest dog let out a loud cry. He was laying down awhile later and when I went to pet him he didn't raise his head or wag his tail so I left him alone. The other two were similarly depressed.