It was during this time that I had to be strong and carry out the duties I was asked to complete such as notify everyone on the 'Call List,' coordinating arrival dates with the church service, after mass luncheon.  and taking the urn with his dogs ashes to the funeral home so they could be combined with his ashes. It was a good thing that we had talked all of this out way in advance because everything went as planned.

Shortly after that in October, my mother had emergency surgery in Indiana. The doctor didn’t think she was going to make it out of the hospital, but I never gave up hope. I called her every day from Arizona and reinforced to her that she needed to be strong so she could go home and have some real food, not the tasteless meals the hospital provided. Sure enough, week by week she got stronger and was determined to go home. The nurses and doctors stated it was a miracle that she survived.

I then went to Indiana to care for her and her new friend, the ostomy bag. Caring for her during those three weeks reconnected us in so many ways. She is doing very well and I admire her for being so upbeat and full of life during this ordeal. I am not so sure how I would react to this situation if it had been me.

Then December rolled in and my husband and I had to make yet another difficult decision – to put down our family cat, Shadow, who had been a great family member of 18 years. His brother Angel passed two years earlier of kidney failure and now Shadow was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

When I moved to Arizona in 1991, I brought my three cats with me. One of them became very ill after a few months. Being single at that time and not knowing anyone in Arizona made things even harder. I wished I knew  someone, anyone to give me support and drive me and Tigger to her final destination. Anyone who has had to make this kind of decision knows how painful and difficult it is, especially when you have to do it all alone.

As a result, I felt I needed to reach out to others and let them know that they do not need to go through the aftermath of "bumps in the road" alone.
Thus, "The Path to the Healing Garden" is now one of the services I am offering. This service gives you a helping had when you need it most. Things go more smoothly when you have help to get you over the "bumps" in the road such as:

• Be a companion to you when it’s time to send a pet to the “rainbow bridge”
• Care for your pet when you require a hospital stay
• Take an inventory of your home
• Transport donated items to the organization of your choice
• Help plan a luncheon
• Compile a ‘Call List’
• Pack up items to donate after a passing of a loved one